TWO climate activists linked to the notorious environmental protest group Just Stop Oil were arrested in Madrid on Sunday after causing ‘irreparable damage’ to a 133-year-old painting.
Two women, Victoria Domingo, 39, and Luna Lago, 29, were dragged away by security guards at Madrid’s Naval Museum on Sunday after throwing biodegradable red paint over Jose Garnelo’s ‘First Tribute to Christopher Columbus’.
In response, officials from far-right Vox have filed a lawsuit against the activists, claiming crimes of damage to historical heritage, aggravated damage, public disorder, resistance and disobedience, and criminal association.
Both women wore T-shirts emblazoned with the logo of Futuro Vegetal (‘Plant Future’).
Futuro Vegetal say they are a ‘civil disobedience and direct action group that fights against the Climate Crisis by adopting a plant-based food system’.
Sunday’s protest coincided with Spain’s October 12 celebrations, the Día de la Hispanidad which commemorates Columbus’ arrival in the Americas in 1492.
In a social media post, Futuro Vegetal said: “The celebration of October 12 is the celebration of centuries of oppression, exploitation and the genocide of the indigenous population of Abya Yala [a phrase used to describe the indigenous peoples of the Americas].”
The incident has left Garnelo’s painting with ‘irreparable damage’, according to museum officials.
The two women who carried out Sunday’s protest are the same pair who stained Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica with red dye earlier this year.
On that occasion, the duo chanted ‘climate justice’ and accused the Spanish government of being ‘complicit’ in the abundance of forest fires that ravaged the country throughout the summer.
The women were arrested by the Mossos d’Esquadra and whacked with a fine of €600 each.
Last year, Futuro Vegetal hit the headlines after five activists were intercepted by security at Barcelona El-Prat Airport after attempting to glue themselves to the runway.
The protest formed part of a coordinated set of eco-demonstrations across Europe by Oil Kills, an activist group with links to Just Stop Oil, an infamous eco-protest organisation who gained notoriety in the UK for their disruptive tactics including blocking roads and interrupting sporting events.
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