THE public have been banned from bringing liquids to the National Gallery following soup-chucking climate change protests.
Baby formula, expressed milk and prescription medicines will continue to be allowed under the rules that came into effect at the Trafalgar Square gallery today, Friday.
The security measures are “necessary” to ensure the safety of all those who visit, staff and the country’s collection of paintings, the gallery said.
It follows tomato soup being thrown at Vincent Van Gogh paintings by members of the Just Stop Oil group.
Two activists, who were given heavy prison sentences, had said they had never intended to damage the famous paintings that were protected by display cases.
But the gallery’s statement said: “Free access to the National Gallery allows everyone to be inspired by humanity’s greatest achievements. The collection we hold is irreplaceable and with each attack we have been forced to consider putting more barriers between the people and their artworks to preserve these fragile objects for future generations.”
Walk-through metal detectors have been set up and there will be bag searches.
The gallery said that since July 2022, it had been “victim of five separate attacks on iconic paintings”, including Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, John Constable’s The Hay Wain and Diego Velázquez’s “Rokeby Venus”.
Just Stop Oil aims to raise awareness about the government’s failure to combat climate change through direct action-style protests.
After two more of its members targeted two van Gogh Sunflowers paintings at the gallery a fortnight ago, they said: “Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history.”
One of the protesters added: “We will be held accountable for our actions today, and we will face the full force of the law. When will the fossil fuel executives and the politicians they’ve bought be held accountable for the criminal damage that they are imposing on every living thing?”