Climate protesters face charges for attacking Magna Carta in London
Two women have been charged with criminal damage after attempting to break the glass case containing the Magna Carta at the British Library in London. The protestors, 82-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt from Bristol and 85-year-old Judith Bruce from Swansea, are members of the environmental activism group Just Stop Oil. They used a hammer and chisel in their attempt to damage the historic document before being stopped by the library’s security team.
The two women are scheduled to appear in court on 20 June after being released on bail. Just Stop Oil, the group they belong to, stated that they do not have the resources to assist with the bail fees. The activists are demanding the UK government to commit to ending the extraction and burning of oil, gas, and coal by 2030.
In a separate incident at the Louvre in Paris, two protestors from the French group Riposte Alimentaire were arrested for placing stickers near Eugène Delacroix’s painting Liberty Leading the People. The activists called for civil resistance against the elite and highlighted growing inequalities in society.
These recent incidents of art-related protests serve to raise awareness about environmental and social justice issues.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.