Just Stop Oil considers slashing artworks in threat to escalate protests

Just Stop Oil activists are considering slashing artworks as the group threatens to escalate its climate protests.

The eco activists began its third wave of disruption on Monday, walking slowly down the streets of London to slow traffic during rush hour, and told The Telegraph they will be out in force again on Wednesday.

In October, Just Stop Oil protested every day in London - and one of their most high-profile stunts involved throwing tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting in the National Gallery.

But Alex De Koning, 24, a spokesman for Just Stop Oil, told Sky News the group was struggling to get the public onside, saying it was "insane" that "more people are outraged" about them targeting art than devastating floods in Pakista.

He said Just Stop Oil may now follow in the footsteps of suffragettes who "violently slashed paintings in order to get their messages across".

Mr De Koning told the news outlet: "If things need to escalate then we're going to take inspiration from past successful movements and we're going to do everything we can.

"If that's unfortunately what it needs to come to, then that's unfortunately what it needs to come to.

"We're fighting for our lives, why would we do any less?"

Asked whether future protests could involve slashing artwork, the spokesman replied: "It could potentially come to that at one point in the future, yeah."

In a protest against the arrest of Emmeline Pankhurts in 1914, Mary Richardson attacked Diego Velazquez's painting The Rokeby Venus with a meat cleaver.

And later that same year, suffragette Anne Hunt destroyed a painting at the National Portrait Gallery of Thomas Carlyle - one of the gallery's trustees.

Mr De Koning said targeting famous art had "marked an escalation" in Just Stop Oil's action and warned it will "continue to escalate unless the government meets our demand" to stop future gas and oil projects.

'We are alert to the new tactics,' say police

Just Stop Oil will be back protesting in London on Wednesday morning, and will again - like Monday - walk slowly in front of traffic in the capital.

Over the weekend, Commander Karen Findlay said: "Where activists cross the line into criminality, the Met will provide a proportionate policing response.

"We will arrive quickly, deal with the situation efficiently, remove and arrest activists as appropriate and return things to normal as soon as possible."

But officers were again criticised for not taking swift action, with police seen walking alongside activists on the Strand.

A Met Police spokesman said: "Everybody has a right to protest, but they do not have a right to commit crime whilst doing so, or to disproportionately impact others.

"We are alert to the new Just Stop Oil tactics and will move quickly to intervene where serious disruption is being caused.

"During yesterday’s small event, there was a small amount of disruption to already very slow moving traffic.

"No arrests were made.

"We will continue to monitor this closely and develop our response to effectively balance people rights and keep London moving."