Court records, news reports

Just Stop Oil Activists Jailed for Two Years and 20 Months for Throwing Soup on Van Gogh’s 'Sunflowers'

Sep 27, 2024, 12:45 PM

Two Just Stop Oil activists, Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, have been sentenced to prison for throwing tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s 'Sunflowers' at London’s National Gallery in October 2022. Plummer received a two-year sentence, while Holland was sentenced to 20 months. The activists were found guilty of criminal damage in July at Southwark Crown Court. A group of art professionals argued that their actions were part of a 'well-established tradition of creative iconoclasm' and should not result in jail time. However, the court ruled that the potential damage to the painting's glass frame warranted the prison sentences.