Ye scurvy climate activists be caught on film, makin' merry mischief by defacin' King Charles III's portrait!
2023-07-27
Arr! A pair o' miscreants be nabbed in Scotland, mateys! A rascally video be unveilin' their vile act o' spray paintin' King Charles III's portrait. 'Tis a crime most foul, but a fine display o' their daftness!
A video has captured the moment two climate protesters vandalized a portrait of King Charles III at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland. The protesters, associated with a group called "This is Rigged," glued their hands to the floor as an act of protest. The group released a statement expressing their intention to continue taking action until the Scottish government opposes new oil and gas licenses and provides a fair transition to renewable energy for workers. The two individuals involved, aged 21 and 28, have been taken into custody, and an investigation is ongoing.The video footage shows the protesters spraying pink paint over the commissioned portrait and using stencils to paint a noose around Charles' necktie and the message "the people are mightier than a lord" on the artwork. One of the demonstrators can be heard in the video stating that if the Scottish government wants young people to have a future, they must oppose all new oil and gas licenses.
Museum staff attempted to intervene, but the protesters persisted in their actions. The portrait of King Charles was painted by Scottish artist Victoria Crowe and was completed during sittings with the monarch at Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.
"This is Rigged" is calling for a shutdown of the oil and gas industry until their demands are met, citing the current global crises of wildfires and extreme temperatures. The group believes that Scotland is facing a shortage of water, and they view this summer as merely the beginning of a series of extreme weather events.
The incident at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery highlights the ongoing tensions between environmental activists and the fossil fuel industry, as well as the desire for governmental action to address climate change issues.