Museums To Enforce Bag Bans After Climate Extremist Art Attacks

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: A Just Stop Oil demonstrator sprays an orange substance on a
Hollie Adams/Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

Museums across Europe are introducing bans on bringing bags into galleries following several attacks on pieces of priceless art by climate extremists in recent weeks.

Museums in Germany are looking to increase their security following an incident last Sunday that saw two climate extremists glue themselves to a dinosaur skeleton in the Natural History Museum in Berlin as other museums are looking to adopt similar policies.

Bag and jacket bans as well as security searches are being applied in Germany, while other countries, such as Sweden, are also mulling over new security procedures, broadcaster SVT reports.

“In light of developments in recent weeks, we have increased our preparedness,” Gothenburg Museum of Art director Patrik Steorn told the broadcaster.

“Our collection has a high value in art historically and economically. When we have seen what has happened in the outside world, we have thought it is important to protect these works,” Steorn added.

Steorn spoke out on the ongoing attacks on pieces of art by climate extremists saying, “It’s a little difficult to understand why you should expose our common cultural heritage to this risk. We would rather see people trying to hook arms between social movements and museums to work together to raise awareness of climate issues.”

Many of the attacks on pieces of art have been perpetrated by the Just Stop Oil group, including the attack on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in London which was covered in soup and an attack on “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” by 17th-century painter Johannes Vermeer that saw an activist glue his head to the painting.

Just Stop Oil is said to also have wealthy backers, including heiress Aileen Getty, who is descended from former oil magnate J Paul Getty, once the richest man in the world.

The group have engaged in other forms of protest as well in recent weeks, including blocking a bridge in London and the group were accused of having blood on their hands when two women died in car crashes after being diverted from the bridge.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.

 

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