Climate protesters throw soup on van Gogh's Sunflowers in London gallery

Climate protesters threw soup onVincent van Gogh's Sunflowersin London's National Gallery on Friday to protest fossil fuel extraction,but they caused no discernible damage to the glass-covered painting.

The group Just Stop Oil, which wants the British government to halt new oil and gas projects, said activists dumped two cans of Heinz tomato soup over the oil painting, one of the Dutch artist's most iconic works. The two protesters also glued themselves to the gallery wall.

The soup splashed across the glass that coveredthe painting and its gilded frame. The gallery said that "there is some minor damage to the frame but the painting is unharmed." The work is one of several versions of Sunflowers that Van Gogh painted in the late 1880s.

Twocharged

London's Metropolitan Police said officers arrested two women, aged21 and 20. They have beencharged with causing criminal damageto the painting's frame, police said on Saturday.

WATCH | Climate change activists throw soup at van Gogh painting:

Climate change activists throw soup at van Gogh painting

2 years ago

Duration 1:25

The Vincent van Gogh painting 'Sunflowers' suffered minor damage to its frame after two protesters from the group Just Stop Oil threw soup over the painting at London's National Gallery.

"Specialist officers have now un-glued them and they have been taken into custody to a central London police station," the force said in a statement.

The group has drawn attention, and criticism, for targeting artworks in museums. In July, Just Stop Oil activists glued themselves to the frame of a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supperat London's Royal Academy of Artsand to John Constable's The Hay Wain in the National Gallery.

Activists have also blocked bridges and intersections across London during two weeks of protests.

The wave of demonstrations comes as the British government opens a new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas exploration, despite criticism from environmentalists and scientists who say the move undermines the country's commitment to fighting climate change.