An activist stuck his head in glass covering the painting in a museum in The Hague. The artwork was not damaged, gallery staff said. Protesters said their action was meant to highlight how seeing artworks being destroyed evokes a similar feeling to seeing the planet being destroyed. But the prosecutor said: “A piece of art hanging there for all of us to enjoy has been tarnished by the defendants who felt their message trumped all others.” The prosecutor asked for a four-month jail term, with two months suspended, but the judge said she did not want her sentence to discourage other people from protesting. The two men were brought to trial through an expedited process on charges of destruction and open violence against the painting. A third activist, who disagreed with the speedy trial, will appear in court on Friday. All three are part of Just Stop Oil Belgium, which is not affiliated with Just Stop Oil in Britain. Just Stop Oil Belgium said after the verdict: “Isn’t it ironic that climate activists who oppose non-violently the mass slaughter of life on Earth are condemned?”
