In the UK, activists used a Picasso painting to protest against arms sales to Israel. They stuck a photo of a mother and child from Gaza onto a Picasso painting in a London gallery, calling for an arms embargo on Israel. Two climate activists were previously sentenced to 20 months and two years in prison for throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting at the National Gallery last month.

Activists at the National Gallery in London stuck a photo of a mother and child from Gaza onto a Picasso painting in a London gallery, calling for an arms embargo on Israel.

Following the protest against Picasso’s 1901 painting “Maternité,” the National Gallery stated that two people were arrested by the police and no damage was found.

It was reported that the two protesters stuck the photo of the mother and child on top of the protective glass covering the Picasso painting. A video shared by the group on social media shows a security guard removing the photo. One of the protesters can be seen being arrested while shouting, “Free, free Palestine.”

“ACCOMPLICE TO GENOCIDE”

The protester on the ground said the UK government is an “accomplice to genocide” in Gaza and called for pressure to stop arms sales. The activist group Youth Demand had previously organized protests at the Cenotaph war memorial in London and planned to disrupt Prince Charles’ coronation ceremony last year. The National Gallery stated that two people entered the room where Picasso’s painting was located. The statement said, “One of them was caught trying to attach something that looked like a piece of paper to an artwork. Some paint was thrown on the floor. No damage was done to any painting.”

SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON Two climate activists from the Just Stop Oil group were sentenced to 20 months and two years in prison last month for throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting at the National Gallery. Other paintings were also targeted in protests organized by climate campaign groups.