Da Vinci Would’ve Sided With Climate Art Protests, Say Just Stop Oil Activists

It is thought that at the Last Supper, everyone at the table was in agreement, save for one.

In the case of Just Stop Oil, all members who adhered themselves to a copy of the Leonardo da Vinci were firmly convinced that the great polymath would “100% agree” with their art disruptions, the Guardian reports. The anti-climate-change protesters made this statement after being charged on Wednesday for vandalizing an artwork worth millions at the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London.

The Last Supper painting, dated to the 16th century, is attributed to two of Da Vinci’s pupils and is said to be the most accurate copy of his original work yet.

On July 5, the five activists took to the gallery and glued themselves to the frame of the work, as well as spray-painted the words “No New Oil” underneath the painting.

The demonstrators, aged between 22 and 51, were convicted of criminal damage for causing £180 (US$218) worth of harm during their stunt. Each of them were ordered to pay a fine of £486 (US$587).

While the group had been accused of also causing £539.40 (US$651.77) of damage to a wall and a nearby sofa, where glue was found, district judge William Nelson of the City of London magistrates court cited CCTV footage that showed the protesters weren’t anywhere close to the sofa. Instead, the space was used by police officers who had placed their equipment there to “de-bond” the glue.

The judge said this case was a unique one as all five defendants presented credible stances and that all of them “believe entirely” in their actions. The protesters “gave very clear evidence” that they mainly wanted to draw the attention of major media outlets so as to spread their message to the widest possible audience, he added.

At the trial, one of the defendants, a 22-year-old art student named Jessica Agar, took to the stands and declared: “As an art student, I believe to my core in the power of art to change the world.”

Agar further expressed: “The concept of a ‘last supper’ is a reality for millions around the world, as crop failures from climate breakdown force us into widespread famine. This will become a reality for my baby nephew. Why is his life, and the lives of countless others, not given the same value as this painting?”

However, the judge said the group members were “reckless” as they were aware their stunt would cause damage to the artwork’s frame.

He added the vandalism wasn’t as “trivial” as “say, damaging in a very minor way the outside of a house during the course of a protest in a street, or even perhaps minor scratches or damage to a vehicle.” The protesters had made moves on the frame of a master work and forced the gallery to close for a day, the judge reiterated.

In response to the verdict, Just Stop Oil writes: “This is the moment for us to come together and resist the destruction of everything we love, something that is being imposed on us by a few, who only seek to enrich themselves.”

“We’re done with begging,” says the organization. “We are going to stop new fossil fuel projects whether those in power agree or not. As citizens, parents and children, we have every right under British law to protect ourselves and those we love.”

[via The Guardian and Associated Press, images via Just Stop Oil]