In Canada, an activist threw paint at a Picasso painting to protest the climate crisis

On Thursday, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was the scene of a protest when an environmental activist doused a Pablo Picasso painting with bright pink paint. The event was timed to protest the worsening problem of climate change.

Video footage released by the group Last Generation Canada shows the moment when a 21-year-old activist named Marcel throws paint on the canvas known as “L’hetaire,” painted in 1901. A museum guard quickly escorted him out of the building.

In their address, the protesters pointed to the problems experienced by Winnipeg, located in the province of Manitoba, which is experiencing an abnormal heat wave. Canadian authorities warn that such dry weather conditions could lead to an increase in the scale of forest fires and thousands of people have already been forced to leave their homes.

“How can I continue to make art if I live in Winnipeg? Will I be able to find the time and resources when I struggle to survive every day while the government does nothing to protect me?” the activist asks in the appeal.

Montreal police confirmed that they detained the activist, but he was later released. He is due to stand trial. Two people who filmed the incident were also arrested but were released without charge.

Protests of this kind have become common in museums in Europe and the United States over the past five years. Organizations such as Last Generation and the British coalition Just Stop Oil have carried out actions against prominent art institutions, including attacks on works by Van Gogh, Degas, and many other masterpieces. There is an ongoing debate in society about the effectiveness of such methods, and activists often face serious consequences.

For example, in August last year, the Austrian organization Last Generation, which was responsible for the action with the painting of Gustav Klimt in Vienna’s Leopold Museum, announced its self-dissolution, citing “ignorance, death threats, and financial penalties.”

“We see no prospect of success,” the activists claimed, reporting that the remaining funds would be used to cover legal costs.

Read also: Anna Wintour’s era is coming to an end: the fashion legend leaves the post of editor-in-chief of Vogue after 37 years.