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Activists from Just Stop Oil glued their hands to the wall after throwing soup at Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' on Oct 14, 2022. But did their point about the evils of oil and gas get across? — Handout/Reuters

On Oct 14, 2022, pictures and videos emerged of anti-oil protesters tossing soup on Van Gogh’s famous painting Sunflowers in London's National Gallery. This was an attempt to raise awareness about the greed of oil and gas companies and the world’s harmful dependence on the fossil fuels that are warming the globe and contributing to the climate crisis.

The protesters from Just Stop Oil stated: “The cost-of-living crisis is driven by fossil fuels. Everyday life has become unaffordable for millions of cold, hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup. Meanwhile, crops are failing and people are dying in supercharged monsoons, massive wildfires and endless droughts caused by climate breakdown. We can’t afford new oil and gas, it’s going to take everything. We will look back and mourn all we have lost unless we act immediately.”