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Climate activists throw soup at Mona Lisa

<p>Two climate change activists have hurled soup at the bullet-proof glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting, the Mona Lisa, at the Louvre Museum in Paris. </p> <p>On Sunday morning, local time, a video posted on social media showed two women throwing red and orange soup onto the glass protecting the painting to the shock of bystanders. </p> <p>The incident came amid days of protests by French farmers across the country demanding better pay, taxes, and regulations.</p> <p>The two women, with the words "FOOD RIPOSTE" or "Food Counterattack" written on their T-shirts,  managed to pass under the security barrier and stood in front of the painting, while shouting slogans for a sustainable food system.</p> <p>“What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food?” they asked. </p> <p>“Your agricultural system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work,” they added, before the security put black panels in front of the painting, and asked visitors to evacuate the space. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="fr">ALERTE - Des militantes pour le climat jettent de la soupe sur le tableau de La Joconde au musée du Louvre. <a href="https://twitter.com/CLPRESSFR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CLPRESSFR</a> <a href="https://t.co/Aa7gavRRc4">pic.twitter.com/Aa7gavRRc4</a></p> <p>— CLPRESS / Agence de presse (@CLPRESSFR) <a href="https://twitter.com/CLPRESSFR/status/1751538762687893894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>On its website, the "Food Riposte" group said that the French government is breaking its climate commitments, and they demanded a state-sponsored health care system to be put in to give people better access to healthy food, while providing farmers with a decent income. </p> <p>The protests comes after the French government announced a series of measures for agricultural workers on Friday, which they believe do not fully address their demands. </p> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span></p>

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Ken’s rights? Our research shows Barbie is surprisingly accurate on how ‘men’s rights activists’ are radicalised

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucy-nicholas-145660">Lucy Nicholas</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>In the Barbie movie, we open with a picture of a perfect Barbieland where (almost) everyone is happy, diversity and sisterhood are embraced, and Barbies hold all positions of power.</p> <p>The Kens however, reflecting the popularity of the dolls in the real world, play a mainly decorative role.</p> <p><em>Spoilers for Barbie follow.</em></p> <p>In the film, we see a disgruntled Ken (played hilariously by Ryan Gosling) follow “Stereotypical” Barbie (Margot Robbie) to the real world where she has to find her human owner. This is all to fix an error that is allowing the real world to seep into Barbie land, with symptoms such as Barbie having an existential crisis.</p> <p>In the real world, Ken discovers the concept of the patriarchy. This sees him take a journey that is clearly influenced by, and pokes fun at, many aspects of contemporary anti-feminist men’s rights culture.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBk4NYhWNMM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Barbieland and the matriarchy</h2> <p>It has been proposed that <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-greta-gerwigs-barbie-land-the-matriarchy-can-be-just-as-bad-as-the-patriarchy-209317">Barbieland is a matriarchy</a>, but I would argue that their attitude to Kens is instead indifference.</p> <p>Ken was aggrieved that Barbie didn’t notice him and reciprocate his affections. This is not dissimilar to the grievances of some real-life men under contemporary feminism. Why don’t women’s lives revolve around them? And what can they do to address this perceived injustice?</p> <p>The movie cleverly parallels the emotions, narratives and logics that lead men to extreme antifeminist and misogynistic thinking, and in doing so exposes the flimsiness of their foundations.</p> <p>Having undertaken <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-12/apo-nid307612.pdf">research</a> on online antifeminist discourses, Ken’s journey from aggrievement to masculine “enlightenment” parallels themes we found in Men’s Rights Activist spaces.</p> <p>Radicalisation into this world is often motivated by a feeling among boys and men of being left behind by a feminist world or system that doesn’t value them. This then leads them to long for an imagined natural order of patriarchy where women are back in their place and men regain their entitlements.</p> <p>These logics underpin <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-the-incel-community-has-a-sexism-problem-but-we-can-do-something-about-it-207206">incel</a> culture, a movement that is increasingly understood as a terror threat, and has been associated with various acts of terror, such as the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/closest-to-an-incel-attack-nz-has-had-experts-concern-after-attempted-murder-of-auckland-schoolgirls/HYPEVZ6F4BFT3CV2O4SXS5FR7U/">Epsom crash case</a>.</p> <h2>The manosphere and MRAS</h2> <p>The “<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-68360-7_2">manosphere</a>” can be understood as a loose coalition of antifeminist online subcultures.</p> <p>This includes MRAs (<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1097184X15574338">Men’s Rights Activists</a>) who claim reverse discrimination and that feminism has gone too far, and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1097184X18816118">Redpillers</a> who claim to have swallowed the “red pill” to see the truth about feminism’s dominance. PUAs (<a href="https://repository.upenn.edu/entities/publication/d8971ded-1ec3-4939-8c0a-ab248dad62ba">Pick up Artists</a>) teach men how to manipulate the women they feel they are entitled to, to give them sex; and MGTOWs (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1751867">Men Going Their Own Way</a>), who are antifeminist separatists (from women).</p> <p>Some of the most well known members of the manosphere are incels (involuntary celibates) a misogynistic community of self identified “beta-males” who want an end to women’s rights which prevent them from getting sex.</p> <h2>Ken’s grievances</h2> <p>Like many MRAs, Ken struggles with a sense of entitlement romantically (rather than sexually in genital-free Barbieland), and in attitudes to power and respect.</p> <p>Ken was being “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend%20zone">friend-zoned</a>” by Barbie, who despite being “boyfriend and girlfriend” wouldn’t let him stay over at the Dream House, because “every night is girl’s night”.</p> <p>This is coupled with a feeling of not being special, as Ken is essentially interchangeable with any other Ken. He is also “alpha’d” by other Kens: in the language of the manosphere, Barbie is a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-27/incels-inside-their-terrifying-online-world/9700932">“Stacy” and the other Ken is an alpha “Chad”</a> preventing him from getting what he wants.</p> <p>In <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-12/apo-nid307612.pdf">our data</a> we found women are often described as “overlords”, man-haters, misandrists and “feminazis”. Among other concerns, men perceive economic loss due to women’s participation in the workplace, and crucially a lack of men’s sexual access to women brought about by the gains of feminism such as the awareness raised around consent by the #metoo movement.</p> <p>These men all share a starting point of grievance at women and their perceived indifference towards them.</p> <p>When Ken goes to the real world, he discovers patriarchy and he LOVES it. He has been “redpilled”. Patriarchy explains his aggrievement, and affirms his feelings. He takes patriarchy back to Barbieland and transforms it to Kendom, where the men change it to a society oriented around men and their power (and horses…).</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y1IgAEejvqM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Redpilled ken</h2> <p>This redpilled Ken is a hilarious parody of the “neomasculinity” of the pick up artist (PUA) movement, that seeks to restore a masculine-centred world.</p> <p>Neomasculinity is about a belief in biological difference, traditional masculinity and heteronormative gender roles.</p> <p>The amusing depiction of the Kens trying to perform traditional <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/hypermasculinity">hypermasculinity</a> and needing their egos stroked – such as in a hilarious scene where the Kens are serenading the Barbies on the beach with an acoustic rendition of Matchbox Twenty’s <a href="https://youtu.be/HAkHqYlqops">Push</a> (“I wanna push you around … I wanna take you for granted”) – brilliantly shows the extent to which toxic masculinity is learned.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HAkHqYlqops?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Additionally, the competition among the Kens (that the Barbies ultimately stoke to overturn the Kentriarchy) is the perfect illustration of the damage toxic models of masculinity does to men. As Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell has long argued, almost no men can live up to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27640853">masculine ideals</a>, resulting in negative outcomes not just for women but also for men themselves.</p> <h2>Finding the real Ken</h2> <p>The movie ends with Barbie, her human (America Ferrera), “Weird Barbie” (Kate McKinnon) and Allan (Michael Cera) deprogramming the brainwashed Barbies and turning the Kens against each other.</p> <p>But what of Just Beach Ken? And what can we learn from this for preventing or managing radicalisation of this feeling of aggrievement in real men or boys?</p> <p>Well, Barbie and Ken reach a middle ground. Barbie encourages Ken to work out who he is outside of his relation to Barbie, and to learn being Just Ken is enough.</p> <p>This isn’t dissimilar to the methods of men’s behaviour change programs and counselling for men who use violence, which use <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926771.2023.2189043">trauma-informed motivational interviewing</a>, reflect on challenging gender norms and breaking down rigid thought processes, and developing emotional literacy and communication strategies.</p> <p>But it also illustrates that men and boys need alternative narratives to make sense of themselves in the world, and alternative communities for affirmation, before it gets to this stage.</p> <p>In <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-12/apo-nid307612.pdf">our report</a>, we recommended: "Providing alternative narratives and considering how far-right [or MRA] groups provide men with emotional support networks, with a view to providing better alternatives."</p> <p>Feminism has consistently been about separating attributes from their gendered associations, breaking down the Barbie/Ken binary. So if there is one thing we can take away from the Barbie movie, it is that hierarchy and rigid gender benefits nobody, and power and social roles have nothing to do with the genitals you are born with.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210273/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucy-nicholas-145660"><em>Lucy Nicholas</em></a><em>, Associate professor Sexualities and Genders / Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Warner Bros.</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kens-rights-our-research-shows-barbie-is-surprisingly-accurate-on-how-mens-rights-activists-are-radicalised-210273">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Piers Morgan lays into vegan activist Tash Peterson

<p>Prominent Australian vegan activist Tash Peterson found herself in the middle of a fiery debate with British media personality Piers Morgan during her appearance on his TV program, Uncensored.</p> <p>The 29-year-old activist donned a T-shirt with the slogan "end this holocaust" and an image of a caged pig, which immediately sparked heated discussions.</p> <p>Morgan began the conversation by suggesting that people might be turning away from veganism because they felt overwhelmed by aggressive approaches. He referred to Peterson's habit of entering restaurants and playing sounds of animals being slaughtered, aiming to draw attention to the treatment of animals in the meat industry.</p> <p>Peterson defended her actions, stating that it raises awareness about what she calls the "animal holocaust." However, Morgan took issue with her choice of words, asserting that the term "holocaust" should be reserved for the mass extermination of six million Jewish people during World War II. He questioned the use of such emotive language, fearing it would offend people.</p> <p>“You’re (Peterson) one of those people that runs into restaurants and plays sounds from screaming animals in abattoirs and so on,” said Morgan.</p> <p>“No, I don’t think so at all," replied Peterson. "I think it brings more attention to the animal holocaust.”</p> <p>“Why would you use the word 'holocaust'?" interjected Morgan. “Holocaust is the mass extermination of more than six million Jewish people by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Why would you use that very emotive language knowing it would offend people?”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Peterson stood her ground, arguing that the term "holocaust" is applicable when looking at the broader definition of the word, as it refers to mass slaughter or destruction. She believed that multiple holocausts have occurred throughout history, extending the idea to include the suffering of non-human animals.</span></p> <p>“If you look at the definition of a holocaust it is slaughter or destruction on a mass scale," she said. "Multiple holocausts have occurred throughout human history and non-human animals can be subjected to the same atrocities that humans can.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu9Pz8mKSjM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu9Pz8mKSjM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tash Peterson (@vganbooty)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Tomi Lahren, another guest on the show and a conservative political commentator from a ranching family, joined Morgan in opposing the comparison made by Peterson. Lahren emphasised the care given to animals within the farming and ranching communities.</p> <p>The conversation also touched on British TV personality Bear Grylls, who had recently given up veganism. Peterson accused Grylls of being a "fake vegan," which Morgan questioned, pointing out that Grylls had authored a vegan cookbook. Peterson, however, maintained that true vegans would never abandon their ethical stance against animal abuse and murder.</p> <p>Morgan concluded the discussion by criticising Peterson's protest methods, urging her to explore more effective ways to promote veganism rather than resorting to disruptive actions like entering restaurants and playing distressing animal sounds.</p> <p>Peterson is currently in the UK for the Vegan Camp Out Festival, where she is scheduled to be a guest speaker. However, she had to seek clearance from a Perth court due to charges related to an incident in which she allegedly refused to leave a restaurant during a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/furious-chef-lets-loose-after-clash-with-vegan-protestors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confrontation with anti-vegan chef John Mountain</a>.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Anti-vegan chef launches clothing line against activist

<p dir="ltr">Chef John Mountain has taken his feud with vegan activist Tash Peterson to the next level by unveiling a clothing line that names and shames her and her animal rights beliefs. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Perth chef, who has taken legal action against Ms Peterson after the pair tussled during protests at his restaurant Fyre, showed off the provocative range of tank-tops, t-shirts and hoodies on his new merchandise website.</p> <p dir="ltr">The merch page, which was launched on Saturday, promises customers will love the clothing “hopefully more than Tash loves chef”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is now selling clothing that carries the restaurant's branding and slogans such as “Pleased to meat stew”, “no animals were harmed in the making of this shirt” and “all they have done is added fuel to the Fyre”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One t-shirt design features a half-star Google-style review graphic with the words: “Absolutely f***ing chaotic Tash Peterson”, which makes fun of Ms Peterson's description of a protest and the flood of Fyre reviews posted by vegans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another design asks. “What's the difference between a vegan and a heroin addict? The vegan keeps it to themselves.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The clothing line comes after John Mountain announced all vegans would be banned from his restaurant due to “mental health reasons”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mountain and Peterson have clashed several times at the Perth eatery, with Peterson’s latest demonstration resulting in legal action being taken against the staunch vegan and animal rights activist. </p> <p dir="ltr">After Peterson <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/furious-chef-lets-loose-after-clash-with-vegan-protestors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stormed</a> his booked-out restaurant with other activists in tow, they stood outside with a megaphone, while shouting and playing sounds of squealing pigs, moments before the altercation was caught on camera.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mountain and Peterson came to physical blows as he wrestled them out of the restaurant, as he defended his choice to retaliate against the protestors, saying he chose to stand up to the bullies to "protect my business". </p> <p dir="ltr">"Bullies come in all different shapes and sizes and these lot just happen to be the vegans."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: A Current Affair / Fyre</em></p>

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Furious chef lets loose after clash with vegan protestors

<p>Celebrity chef John Mountain has doubled down on his vow to ban vegans from his restaurant in Perth, after he was targeted by angry vegan activists for the second time. </p> <p>The chef clashed with vegan protestor Tash Peterson on Saturday, after she stormed his booked-out restaurant with other activists in tow. </p> <p>Peterson and other activists stood outside with a megaphone, while shouting and playing sounds of squealing pigs, moments before the altercation was caught on camera.</p> <p>Speaking candidly on <em>A Current Affair</em>, Mountain said he planing his revenge to aggravate the protestors in retaliation. </p> <p>"You're barred for life and whenever I open any other business, now I'm going to start opening steak restaurants just to piss you off," John Mountain told <em>ACA</em> host Leila McKinnon about the activists who tried to storm his restaurant.</p> <p>When Peterson and her posse of protestors stormed his restaurant, called Fyre, on Saturday, Mountain said he'd had enough and confronted them. </p> <p>"I lost my cool because now it's really disrupting my business and I could see the look on my customers' faces, my staff — they were all a little scared and a bit nervous and I just stormed out," Mountain said.</p> <p>Police are investigating allegations of assault during the clash, after Peterson filed a report with attending officers.</p> <p>"We're not going after this restaurant because they're banning vegans — yes that was maybe a reason that instigated it — but at the end of the day it's because this man is profiting from animal abuse and murder and he's also glamourising it," she said on Sunday. </p> <p>Mountain defended his choice to retaliate against the protestors, saying he chose to stand up to the bullies to "protect my business". </p> <p>"Bullies come in all different shapes and sizes and these lot just happen to be the vegans."</p> <p>The chef became emotional while discussing the altercation, sharing how the war against vegans has greatly impacted his personal life.</p> <p>"I lost my partner because of this, I lost a relationship, I thought I was going to marry this woman and she just couldn't handle the amount of attention," he said while choking up with emotion.</p> <p>"Thanks vegans."</p> <p>The clash with protestors comes just weeks after Mountain posted on social media that vegans were now <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/f-k-vegans-top-chef-bans-vegans-from-restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> from his restaurant due to "mental health reasons", sparking outrage among activists and the vegan community.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair / 9News </em></p>

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Eco-activist attacks on museum artwork ask us to figure out what we value

<p>In the last few weeks <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/23/arts/claude-monet-mashed-potatoes-climate-activists.html">climate change activists have perpetrated various acts</a> of reversible vandalism <a href="https://twitter.com/artnews/status/1585745905512169473">against famous works of art in public galleries</a>. </p> <p>In the latest incident on Oct. 27, two men entered <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/girl-with-a-pearl-earring-vermeer-just-stop-oil-protest-mauritshuis-the-hague">the Mauritshuis gallery in the Hague</a>. After taking off their jackets to reveal t-shirts printed with anti-oil slogans, one proceeded to glue his head to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/famed-girl-with-pearl-earring-painting-targeted-by-climate-activists-nos-2022-10-27/">glass overtop</a> <a href="https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/our-collection/artworks/670-girl-with-a-pearl-earring/">Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring</a>, while the other bathed the head of his partner-in-crime with what appeared to be tinned tomatoes before gluing his own hand to the wall adjacent to the painting.</p> <p>This was just the latest in a series of similar art attacks that have peppered the news. </p> <p>The motivation of the eco-activists involved is to draw attention to the crisis of climate change, the role of big oil in hastening the deterioration of the environment and the necessity to save our planet.</p> <p>By attacking a famous and high-value cultural target like Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring — it <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335119/">even starred in its own movie</a> — the protesters are asking us to examine our values.</p> <h2>Big oil protests</h2> <p>The first Vermeer painting to come to auction for almost 80 years <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/vermeer-fetches-record-price-1.506190">sold for almost $40 million in 2004</a>. Today a Vermeer (<a href="http://www.essentialvermeer.com/how_many_vermeers.html">there are not that many)</a> could easily be valued at twice that. Whether you like Vermeer or not, the monetary value of the targets under attack enhances the sheer audacity and shock value of the current art attacks.</p> <p>The eco-activists want to appear to desecrate something that people associate with value and with culture. Their point is that if we don’t have a planet, we’ll lose all the things in it that we seem to value more. </p> <p>As activist Phoebe Plummer of Just Stop Oil <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/just-stop-oil-protestor-van-gogh-sunflowers-why-video-1234643678">told NPR after being involved in the attack on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at London’s National Gallery</a>: “Since October, we have been engaging in disruptive acts all around London because right now what is missing to make this change is political will. So our action in particular <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/01/1133041550/the-activist-who-threw-soup-on-a-van-gogh-explains-why-they-did-it">was a media-grabbing action to get people talking, not just about what we did, but why we did it</a>.”</p> <p>Note, the idea is disruption, not destruction. As acts designed for shock value, the activists did draw immediate public attention.</p> <h2>Attacking art</h2> <p>By staging their attacks in public galleries, where the majority of visitors carry cell phones, activists could be assured film and photos of the incidents would draw immediate attention. By sticking to non-corrosive substances and mitigating damage to the works under attack, they don’t draw the kind of public ire that wilful destruction would evoke. </p> <p>In recent news, attacking art as a form of public protest has largely been limited to public monuments outside the gallery space, like the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/us/confederate-monuments-removed-2021-whose-heritage/index.html">destruction and removal of Confederate</a> or colonial statues. </p> <p>But it’s also true that works of museum art have come under attack before. Over the course of its history, <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/02/19/trimmed-splashed-and-slashed-the-anatomy-of-rembrandts-the-night-watch">Rembrandt’s Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum</a> in Amsterdam was stabbed in two separate incidents in 1911 and 1975; in 1990, it was sprayed with acid; but all of those attacks were ascribed to individuals with unclear and less clearly rational motives.</p> <p>I see a few issues at stake with assessing what these recent art attacks could mean.</p> <h2>1. How effective is the messaging?</h2> <p>The activists have been articulate about their objectives, but those objectives haven’t been <a href="https://twitter.com/BrydonRobert/status/1587587106997960705">obvious to everyone who sees</a> via social media, but doesn’t stick around to hear the explanation. When a broad <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-climate-activists-throwing-food-at-million-dollar-paintings-180981024/">range of media</a> <a href="https://time.com/6224760/climate-activists-throw-food-at-art/">outlets all</a> perceive <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccahughes/2022/08/05/why-are-climate-activists-gluing-themselves-to-art-in-italy/?sh=1e2e8a6a246a">the need to publish</a> editorials on why eco activists are targeting art, something is getting lost in translation.</p> <p>People see the endangerment of the works of art, but may ascribe that to the activists, not to the planetary erosion wrought by climate change. I don’t think everyone is getting the message.</p> <h2>2. Possible misplaced outrage</h2> <p>The incidents up until now have been pretty effective and harmless acts. But what if something is irreparably damaged? People will be outraged, but they’ll still be outraged about the art, not about the planet. </p> <p>And while there will be a call for stiff prison sentences, precedent suggests that’s an unlikely outcome. </p> <p>A man who damaged a Picasso valued at $26 million USD at the Tate Modern <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/tate-modern-picasso-damaged-man-sentenced-1234569349">in London in 2020 was sentenced to 18 months in jail</a>.</p> <h2>3. Violation of public trust</h2> <p>The third effect is what I consider a violation of the public trust, and this gives me pause. Works of art, even the most famous ones, lead precarious lives of constant endangerment; war, weather, fire, floods. The protesters are destabilizing the idea that public galleries are “safe” spaces for works of art, held in public trust. </p> <p>As fari nzinga, inaugural curator of academic engagement and special projects at the <a href="https://www.speedmuseum.org/">Speed Art Museum</a> in Louisville, KY, pointed out in a 2016 paper: “The museum doesn’t serve the public trust simply by displaying art for its members, <a href="https://incluseum.com/2016/11/29/public-trust-and-art-museums">it does so by keeping and caring for the art on behalf of a greater community of members and non¬members alike</a>, preserving it for future generations to study and enjoy.” </p> <p>Right now these acts, no matter how well-intentioned, could lead to increased security and more limited access, making galleries prisons for art rather than places for people. </p> <p>At the same time, part of the activsts’ point is that economy that sustains <a href="https://grist.org/climate/can-art-museums-survive-without-oil-money/">big oil is entwined with arts infrastructure</a> and the art market.</p> <h2>The thing that saves us?</h2> <p>The pandemic taught us, I think, that art could be the thing we share that saves us; think of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q734VN0N7hw">people during quarantine in Italy singing opera together from their balconies</a>. </p> <p>Eco-activists engaged in performance protests ask us to question our public institutions and make us accountable for what they, and we, value. Their climate activism is dedicated to our shared fate.</p> <p>If you’re willing to fight for the protection of art, maybe you’re willing to fight to protect the planet.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/eco-activist-attacks-on-museum-artwork-ask-us-to-figure-out-what-we-value-193575" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Soup on Van Gogh and graffiti on Warhol: climate activists follow the long history of museums as a site of protest

<p>Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans at the National Gallery of Australia are just the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/09/climate-activists-target-andy-warhols-campbells-soup-cans-at-australias-national-gallery">latest artistic target</a> of climate protesters, who have been throwing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers">soup</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">mashed potatoes</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">cake</a> at art worth millions of dollars.</p> <p>The actions have received a <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/in-doha-four-museum-directors-talk-the-climate-protests-1234644472/">muted response</a> from some museum directors, but the protesters know exactly what they are doing. </p> <p>As the activists who threw soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers <a href="https://www.frieze.com/article/interview-just-stop-oil">said, "</a>We know that civil resistance works. History has shown us that."</p> <p>Indeed, there is a long history of museums and art being used for political protest.</p> <h2>For women’s suffrage and women artists</h2> <p>In 1914, suffragette Mary Richardson <a href="https://womensarttours.com/slashing-venus-suffragettes-and-vandalism/">slashed</a> the canvas of Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus at London’s National Gallery. </p> <p>Richardson wanted to attract publicity to Emmeline Pankhurst’s imprisonment for her suffragette actions. Richardson selected this painting in part because of its value, and because of “the way men visitors gaped at it all day long”.</p> <p>Her tactics are credited as <a href="https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/just-stop-oil-protests-museums-environmental-activism/">motivating</a> Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.</p> <p>Since 1985, the <a href="https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/25207/1/Camillabrownpaper.pdf">Guerrilla Girls</a> have been exposing sexual and racial discrimination in the art world.</p> <p>Their actions have usually occurred at the outskirts of museums: in museum foyers, on nearby billboards and on New York City buses. Perhaps their most famous work <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-do-women-have-to-be-naked-to-get-into-the-met-museum-p78793">asked</a>: “do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?”</p> <h2>Against corporate sponsorship and artwashing</h2> <p><a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/decolonize-this-place-kanders-whitney-nine-weeks-of-art-and-action-12207/">Decolonize this Place</a> brings together campaigns against racial and economic inequality. </p> <p>They organised a campaign beginning in 2018 targeting the then vice-chair of New York’s Whitney Museum, Warren B. Kander, whose company sold tear gas that had reportedly been used against asylum seekers along the US-Mexico border. </p> <p>The campaign’s first event was held in the museum’s foyer. <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/no-space-profiteer-state-violence-decolonize-place-protests-whitney-vice-chair-warren-b-kanders-11507/">Protesters burned sage</a> to mimic tear gas, which wafted through the lobby until the fire department arrived. </p> <p>The protesters argued Kander’s business interests meant he was not fit to lead a globally significant cultural heritage institution that sought relevance for a wide and diverse public constituency. Kander <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/arts/whitney-warren-kanders-resigns.html">resigned</a> from the museum’s board in 2019.</p> <p>Since 2018, artist <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-nan-goldin-victoria-albert-1704450">Nan Goldin</a> and her “Opioid Activist Group” have been staging “die-ins” at the museum to protest against the galleries named for sponsorship from the Sackler family.</p> <p>The Sackler family business is Purdue Pharma, infamous for OxyContin, a major drug in the US <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084163626/purdue-sacklers-oxycontin-settlement">opioid crisis</a>. </p> <p>Activists have targeted galleries around the world, and so far the Sackler name has been removed from galleries including the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/arts/sackler-family-museums.html">Louvre</a>, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/mar/25/british-museum-removes-sackler-family-name-from-galleries">British Museum</a>, the <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-name-change-guggenheim-museum-2110993">Guggenheim</a> and, as of last month, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/01/campaigners-celebrate-as-va-severs-sackler-links-over-opioids-cash">Victoria and Albert Museum</a>.</p> <h2>For the return of cultural artefacts</h2> <p>The highest-profile actions against the British Museum have targeted its rejection of calls to return objects including the <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/parthenon-marbles-british-museum-protest-1234632365/">Parthenon Marbles</a> of Greece, the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Benin Bronzes</a> from modern-day Nigeria, and the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Gweagal shield</a> from Australia. </p> <p>In 2018, a group of activists performed a “<a href="https://camd.org.au/stolen-goods-tour-of-bm-protest/">Stolen Goods Tour</a>” of the museum. Participants from across the world gave a different story to what visitors read in the museum’s object labels and catalogues, as the activist tour guides explained their continuing connections with objects in the collection.</p> <p>The tour did not convince the museum to return cultural items, but drew extensive global attention to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/11/nigeria-benin-repatriate-bronzes-smithsonian">ongoing campaigns</a>seeking restitution and repatriation.</p> <h2>In the culture wars</h2> <p>Protests using art and museums aren’t just the domain of the left.</p> <p>In 1969, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Museums-and-Social-Activism-Engaged-Protest/Message/p/book/9780415658539">an arsonist destroyed</a> a display at the National Museum of American History that commemorated Martin Luther King Jr, who had been recently assassinated. The perpetrator was never identified.</p> <p>In 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/18/noose-found-hanging-washington-museum">nooses</a> were left at various museums of the Smithsonian, including The National Museum of African American History and Culture. No groups ever came forward to claim responsibility or express a motive, but the noose is a potent and divisive symbol of segregation and racially motivated violence.</p> <p>In December 2021, doors to the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-30/act-protesters-set-old-parliament-house-on-fire/100731444">set alight</a> twice by protesters with a number of grievances, including opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.</p> <p>The museum’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-20/multimillion-dollar-repair-bill-for-old-parliament-house-fire/100770268">director said</a> the “assault on the building” would force the museum to rethink its commitment to being “as open as possible, representing all that is good about Australian democracy”, and at the same time keeping it protected.</p> <h2>‘Direct action works’</h2> <p>The past two decades have seen a surge of art-focused demonstrations. </p> <p>In 2019, Decolonize this Place and Goldin’s anti-Sackler coalition met with members of 30 other groups in front of Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper” (1986) at the Whitney. </p> <p>They were there to celebrate the Tate Museum in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, who had announced they would stop taking funding from the Sackler family. One participant cried “<a href="https://hyperallergic.com/491418/decolonize-this-place-nine-weeks-launch/">direct action works!</a>” </p> <p>Even when protests at museums and art achieve less concrete outcomes than this, they remain central tools for building public awareness around political and social issues. </p> <p>It is unlikely actions against museums and art will subside anytime soon.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/soup-on-van-gogh-and-graffiti-on-warhol-climate-activists-follow-the-long-history-of-museums-as-a-site-of-protest-193009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Outspoken transgender activist buys Miss Universe pageant for $31 million

<p dir="ltr">A Thai business tycoon, celebrity, and transgender activist has purchased the Miss Universe Organisation for a hefty $31 million, according to an announcement made by her company.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chakrapong ‘Anne’ Chakrajutathib, who has starred in reality shows and spoken out about being a transgender woman, controls JKN Global Group Public Co Ltd, which acquired the rights to the beauty pageant - which is broadcast to 165 countries - from IMG Worldwide LLC, a sports, talent and events marketing company.</p> <p dir="ltr">IMG has held the rights to the Miss Universe pageant since 2015, with former President Donald Trump partially owning it for 19 years until IMG’s purchase.</p> <p dir="ltr">To own the Miss Universe Organisation, JKN said it established a US subsidiary called JKN Metaverse Inc.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement, Ms Chakrapong said the purchase was a “strong, strategic addition to our portfolio”, which includes content distribution, beverages, food supplements, beauty and consumer products.</p> <p dir="ltr">JKN said the addition of the Miss Universe Organisation would see them use the name to promote its consumer products.</p> <p dir="ltr">A profile in the <em>Bangkok Post</em> on Ms Chakrapong, who founded the non-profit group Life Inspired for Transsexual Foundation to promote trans rights, said she was harassed for identifying as female while studying at an all-male school.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she saw financial success, Ms Chakrapong spent $1.5 million on sex reassignment surgery and other procedures, according to the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Thailand has a positive reputation when it comes to the rights and lifestyles of LGBTQ+ communities, a report from the Human Rights Watch found that transgender people in Thailand had limited access to services and are exposed to daily indignities.</p> <p dir="ltr">The report came to this conclusion due to the an absence of procedure for transgender people to legally change their gender, as well as insufficient legal protections and social stigma that trans people experience.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-4d08e07d-7fff-73ee-8f7e-589981174486"></span></p>

Beauty & Style

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King Charles’ wax figure vandalised by climate activists

<p dir="ltr">A group of activists have thrown chocolate cake at King Charles III wax figure in London.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just Stop Oil activists shared footage of themselves throwing chocolate cake into the face of King Charles waxwork at Madame Tussauds.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two supporters, Eilidh McFadden, 20, and Tom Johnson 29, were seen stepping closer to the King’s figure before taking off their jumpers to show the “Just Stop Oil” shirts.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eilidh first smashes the cake at King Charles’ figure before Tom does the same thing just after 10.30am (8.30pm AEDT) on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">A woman could be heard shouting stop at the pair but they ignored her. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The science is clear. The demand is simple: just stop new oil and gas. It’s a piece of cake,” their tweet reads.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">🎂 BREAKING: JUST STOP OIL CAKES THE KING 🎂</p> <p>👑 Two supporters of Just Stop Oil have covered a Madame Tussauds waxwork model of King Charles III with chocolate cake, demanding that the Government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeLouis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeLouis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeJosh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeJosh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/A22Network?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#A22Network</a> <a href="https://t.co/p0DJ8v3XVB">pic.twitter.com/p0DJ8v3XVB</a></p> <p>— Just Stop Oil ⚖️💀🛢 (@JustStop_Oil) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustStop_Oil/status/1584491199771316225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed four people were arrested for criminal damage in relation to the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We responded quickly to an incident at Madame Tussauds after two people threw food at a statue at approximately 10.50am,” they said in a statement. </p> <p dir="ltr">The activists’ actions comes just weeks after two people from the same group <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/climate-activists-attack-van-gogh-s-sunflowers-with-soup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempted to destroy an iconic Van Gogh artwork</a> in London’s National Gallery in the name of climate activism. </p> <p dir="ltr">They threw cans of tomato soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888), the museum confirmed in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, the painting was saved by the glass covering, with the frame only suffering minor damage.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Three arguments why Just Stop Oil was right to target Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

<p>Waves of controversy were sparked recently when the Just Stop Oil activists <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/oil-protest-van-gogh-sunflower-soup-intl-scli-gbr/index.html">threw tomato soup</a> over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Although the painting was behind glass <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers">so not damaged</a>, politicians were quick to condemn their “<a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1581327788388163584?s=20&amp;t=ACNnBMBQN9UNL-cxoRhrVg">attention-seeking</a>” vandalism while media commentators proclaimed that the act had “<a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewMarr9/status/1580879221656006656?s=20&amp;t=ACNnBMBQN9UNL-cxoRhrVg">lost them</a>” to the cause. </p> <p>It is perhaps with some poetic timing that I’ve just started a project that is an oral history of the <a href="https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-teaching/departments-and-schools/geography/oral-history-of-the-environmental-movement-project/">environmental movements in the UK</a>. The aim is to contribute to a greater understanding and wider public awareness of the variety of modes of engagement with environmental issues.</p> <p>This tactic was certainly a provocative act and Van Gogh’s work is undoubtedly some of the most important artwork of modern times. However, many of these commentaries on Just Stop Oil’s actions simply just don’t hold up. </p> <p>The main critiques of the activist stunt are that it <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/10/14/just-stop-oils-van-gogh-soup-stunt-sparks-criticism-alienating-strategy">alienates people</a> who are sympathetic to the climate cause by attacking a much-loved and important piece of art. That it smacks of <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-too-middle-class-heres-how-to-fix-that-123231">middle-class activism</a> and is overly performative. And, finally, that it has required “<a href="https://currentlyhq.com/personal/we-need-more-climate-protests-just-not-performative-ones/">explanation</a>”, which if you have to do, you’re losing.</p> <p>While there is some truth to these critiques, I don’t buy them.</p> <p>Rather than wade further into the quagmire of social media debate, here is a breakdown of the three arguments and explanations of why I think that this kind of provocative activism deserves our unwavering support.</p> <h2>1. Art is an extension of corporate power</h2> <p>First off, museums and art galleries have long been used by fossil fuel companies for the purposes of <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745335889/artwash/">artwashing</a> – the ethically acceptable process of funding art and culture to smooth over their very unethical corporate practices. Some of the more conscientious institutions (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/19/shells-ends-national-gallery-sponsorship-to-delight-of-campaigners">including</a> <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c3ab1b10-ee06-4fac-abe9-1a1e4dcef39f">The National Gallery</a>) have <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bp-ends-tate-sponsorship-2017-447041#:%7E:text=Tate%20was%20forced%20to%20disclose,year%20between%201990%20and%202006.">cut ties</a>with any sponsorship from oil companies, but others have <a href="https://www.channel4.com/news/revealed-science-museum-signed-gagging-clause-with-exhibition-sponsor-shell">doubled down</a> on it.</p> <p>Art itself, through the <a href="https://qz.com/513625/the-new-reserve-currency-for-the-worlds-rich-is-not-actually-currency/">networks of global trading</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-02/how-do-the-rich-avoid-taxes-billionaires-use-this-art-strategy?leadSource=uverify%20wall">tax avoidance</a> and the creation of <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9783956796227/">freeports</a> (huge walled complexes where art is stored away from prying eyes and tax collectors), has become <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745338248/art-after-money-money-after-art/">totally intertwined</a> with global corporate and fossil fuel capitalism. Corporations plough money into art institutions and art pieces themselves because it buys them validity in the eyes of the public. Art becomes a shield for their more nefarious planet-destroying practices.</p> <p>But the art should never be considered above, or separate from, the capitalist content behind it. Millions of treasured pieces of art are now under the purview of corporate power and have <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/147192/modern-art-serves-rich">become windows</a> – beautiful windows no doubt, but still windows – into the shady practices of global capital and <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMLC-01-2021-0002/full/html?casa_token=HAd9Kr6jD2kAAAAA:37GtlbaQIbxeoQOtXExK2-OKjvog5kYNaEv94Jwy_MF1ssCHNztVGBofMoPYjqp-NMkKE5PYOPklW_nmDBelpT8QQpgo6cEAmp_vF_Ydv6DNIL8h1Q">international tax avoidance</a>. As hard as it is to stomach sometimes, art pieces, in this way, become extensions of corporate power and hence are legitimate targets of climate activism.</p> <h2>2. Fighting class oppression and climate change is the same</h2> <p>The second critique, often coming from the left, accuses climate activism of being inherently middle-class. Groups, they argue, are populated by white people and the “mess” they create (be that with soup on paintings or <a href="https://twitter.com/Taj_Ali1/status/1581332937475207169?s=20&amp;t=4ELyikRjs5qmUWZuNYYl6g">milk on supermarket floors</a>) is often cleared up by working-class cleaning staff. </p> <p>There is truth in these arguments, which are often missing from the justification of these activist practices. However, taking a more holistic approach, social and economic justice is a fundamental pillar of climate justice – you cannot have <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/cop26-tackling-climate-breakdown-and-delivering-economic-justice-must-go-hand-in-hand/">one without the other</a>. The Just Stop Oil activists who defaced the Van Gogh recognised these arguments in part when <a href="https://twitter.com/JustStop_Oil/status/1580883249228046336?s=20&amp;t=x0HvtkQci8bXDeUjY0EFQw">they said</a> that many people “can’t afford to even buy and heat soup because of the energy crisis”.</p> <p>“Solving” the climate crisis demands total system change. As <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-strikes-greta-thunberg-calls-for-system-change-not-climate-change-heres-what-that-could-look-like-112891">Greta Thunberg</a> and other prominent voices have constantly said. Capitalism will not solve the problem, it only makes it worse. Capitalism has the oppression of the working class as its core engine. So, fighting against the changing climate means also fighting capitalism’s class (and indeed, racial, gendered and ableist) imbalance. The two are, and need to continue to be, one.</p> <h2>3. Direct action is important</h2> <p>Finally, some people have wheeled out the phrase “if you’re explaining yourself, you’re losing”. Again, there is a kernel of truth to that, but the severity of the climate catastrophe needs no further explanation. </p> <p>Explaining is not the point of direct action. If you need to be “won over” by the argument, then you’re clearly not doing enough. </p> <p>Just Stop Oil’s action with soup on Sunflowers was to symbolise that we’re attacking something we love. The level of ire at those symbolically ruining – remember, it was behind glass so has not be destroyed – a precious art piece should be given a million-fold to those who are actually ruining our precious planet.</p> <p>Direct climate action will only increase as the situation worsens and our governments continue to actively make things worse with new mines, fracking and new <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/07/uk-offers-new-north-sea-oil-and-gas-licences-despite-climate-concerns">oil drilling contracts</a>. <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3665-how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline">Destroying pipelines</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/laver-cup-climate-change-activist-sets-his-arm-on-fire-on-court-2022-9">demanding an end to private jets</a> and other direct action against fossil fuel burning infrastructures are important acts in this regard. They highlight how art is also part of that infrastructure and is therefore equally vital.</p> <p>The current crop of climate activists –- Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain etc – will forge their own path because that is what activists need to do to make their points heard. But for all the reasons outlined above, understanding the history (and their successes and failures) will be important to help build a coherent, united and effective climate movement. </p> <p>That cohesive movement will need art yes, but not as a conduit for the very capitalist vehicles that are destroying our beautiful planet. As Van Gogh himself said, "…it is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for reality is more important than the feeling for pictures."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-arguments-why-just-stop-oil-was-right-to-target-van-goghs-sunflowers-192661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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Climate activists attack Van Gogh’s Sunflowers with soup

<p dir="ltr">Two people have attempted to destroy an iconic Van Gogh artwork in London’s National Gallery in the name of climate activism. </p> <p dir="ltr">The two perpetrators, who are members of the organisation Just Stop Oil, threw cans of tomato soup at Van Gogh’s <em>Sunflowers </em>(1888), the museum confirmed in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, the painting was saved by the glass covering, with the frame only suffering minor damage. </p> <p dir="ltr">Immediately after throwing the soup, the activists glued themselves to the wall under the painting in an act that was filmed and shared on Twitter by the Guardian‘s environmental correspondent Damien Gayle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What is worth more, art or life?” declared one protester. “Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">“What is worth more, art or life? … are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?”<a href="https://twitter.com/JustStop_Oil?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustStop_Oil</a>’s activists explain their action <a href="https://t.co/mGNZIO6RbK">pic.twitter.com/mGNZIO6RbK</a></p> <p>— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) <a href="https://twitter.com/damiengayle/status/1580865060347383808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of the oil crisis,” they continued. “Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the incident, gallery staff cleared visitors from the room and called police to the scene. </p> <p dir="ltr">The two activists were then arrested.</p> <p dir="ltr">The attack on Van Gogh’s <em>Sunflowers </em>is the recent statement made by climate activists, who have drawn in a flood of attention by targeting artworks around the world. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

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Tourism Australia's new mascot targeted by animal rights activists

<p>Tourism Australia has seen all kinds of ambassadors campaigning to bring travellers to Aussie shores. </p> <p>Names such as Paul Hogan, Lara Bingle and Kylie Minogue have all been the face of Australian tourism, but the latest ambassador aimed at boosting travellers Down Under is the ever-charming, yet computer-generated, Ruby Roo.</p> <p>Ruby Roo is part of Tourism Australia's push to attract people back to Aussie shores as the nation continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. </p> <p>While the CGI mascot has received a mostly positive welcome online, animal rights activist are not happy, calling out the government's "hypocrisy" over their choice in animal to represent Australia.</p> <p>"If Tourism Australia's Brand Ambassador Ruby Roo was real, she would have been shot as part of a Government 'Kangaroo Management Plan' and hung up by her leg on the back of a ute," NSW Animal Justice Party MP Mark Pearson said.</p> <p>Speaking to 2GB's Ben Fordham, Pearson said "if the tourism industry is going to have the icon as our signature to the world, then talk about what are we actually doing to kangaroos".</p> <p>"We can't keep saying, 'Oh my god, we're overrun with kangaroos' because they've been here for millions of years - they're trying to survive," he said.</p> <p>"We don't know how many kangaroos are out there but this is our native, protected animal, we need to be absolutely certain of how many kangaroos are out there (before we kill them).</p> <p>"This animal is loved around the world."</p> <p>The Australian government estimated there are between 40 and 50 million kangaroos across the country, almost double the nation's population of people. </p> <p>Due to their grazing habits, they've been considered a detrimental pest by some farmers and culling, though controversial, does occur across the country, with certain legal circumstances permitting the shooting of the animal. </p> <p>But Pearson insisted we need to "work with these animals" and not against them.</p> <p>"We need to work with these animals, it's not a competition between a cow and a sheep and a kangaroo," he said.</p> <p>"We're talking about killing kangaroos now and we've been killing kangaroos for 250 years.</p> <p>"If the agriculture industry is saying we've still got a problem then the methodology which is just killing and maiming animals is not working."</p> <p>Animals Australia Director of Development Louise Bonomi echoed Pearson's sentiment.</p> <p>"Tourism Australia using a kangaroo as its 'face' of tourism is the equivalent of Japan adopting a whale as its tourism icon or Canada marketing itself using harp seal images," she said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Tourism Australia</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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16-year-old climate activist mocked on radio

<p>A 16-year-old climate activist has been mocked on a New Zealand radio show, prompting a furious response from the teenager's mother. </p> <p>School Strike 4 Climate member Izzy Cook was speaking to NewstalkZB host Heather du Plessis-Allan about a recent trip she took to Fiji, just moments after telling the interviewer she shouldn't fly to the tropical location. </p> <p>When the comments were made, raucous laughter erupted from the host. </p> <p>“So we would have to apply to have like, approved events to be able to fly for?” du Plessis-Allan asked when discussing the climate impacts of air travel. </p> <p>“Well that’s one thing that you could look at doing,” Cook said.</p> <p>“Am I allowed to go to Fiji? Is that necessary?” du Plessis-Allan asked.</p> <p>Cook replied, “In the current climate crisis, I don’t think that that’s necessary.”</p> <p>The host then asked when was the last time Cook was on a plane.</p> <p>“Mm, I’m not sure – maybe a few months ago to be honest,” she said.</p> <p>“Where’d you go?” the host asked.</p> <p>“Fiji,” Cook conceded.</p> <p>The host then erupted in laughter, asking “Izzy! Izzy! Don’t you care about the climate, Izzy?” </p> <p>The teenager conceded it was “pretty ironic but to be honest it’s not really a trip that I wanted to go on but I can’t really get out of it because my parents wanted to go”.</p> <p>“Are you embarrassed that your parents did that to the planet and then forced you to do it as well?” du Plessis-Allan asked.</p> <p>“Of course I’m not embarrassed,” she said.</p> <p>“Did you have a terrible time?” the host asked.</p> <p>“Not really,” the teen said, sparking more laughter.</p> <p>du Plessis-Allan ended the interview telling Cook she was “such a champion” who had a “brilliant future ahead of you”, mockingly asking, “Are you doing another strike soon?”</p> <p>“Yeah well we’ll look to,” Cook said.</p> <p>“Good, we’ll talk to you again,” the host laughed. “We might get you back on the show.”</p> <p>After the clip of the interview went viral online, Izzy's mother penned a furious opinion piece saying the host should be “ashamed” for “bullying” her daughter.</p> <p>“On Friday evening, I listened in horror as my 16-year-old daughter had a phone conversation with someone who appeared to be bullying her, laughing at her, and talking over her,” Rose Cook <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/25-09-2022/heather-du-plessis-allan-should-be-ashamed-of-how-she-bullied-my-daughter" target="_self">wrote in </a><a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/25-09-2022/heather-du-plessis-allan-should-be-ashamed-of-how-she-bullied-my-daughter" target="_self">The Spinoff</a>.</p> <p>“As soon as she got off the call I demanded to know who the hell was speaking to my child in this way.”</p> <p>Rose went on to defend her daughter's low carbon lifestyle, and said commentators like Heather du Plessis-Allan are more interested in the "gotcha moments" than listening to young people about the state of the environment. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 1News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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National Day of Mourning brings anti-monarchy activists to the streets

<p>While many Australians were mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth on the specially appointed public holiday, anti-monarchy activists took to the streets to celebrate the end of her reign.</p> <p>With protests taking place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, activists declared "I'm glad the b**** is dead" just hours after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid affectionate tribute to the deceased monarch on the country’s National Day of Mourning.</p> <p>Several hundred demonstrators gathered on the steps of Sydney's Town Hall to protest the institution of the royal family and call for an Australian republic, Indigenous sovereignty, a treaty with Aboriginal Australians, and reparations for past wrongs.</p> <p>Under heavy police presence, speakers listed demands and grievances against British monarchs going back to Queen Victoria.</p> <p>Many of the speeches were heavily laced with profanity and declarations such as “f*** the royal family.”</p> <p>One speaker enthusiastically sang, “If you’re happy that she’s dead, clap your hands!”</p> <p>Signs reading “Sovereignty never ceded” and “It’s Aboriginal land” were seen throughout the crowd.</p> <p>Despite the strong anti-monarchy rhetoric, a small group of counter-protestors showed up to show their support for the late Queen and the monarchy.</p> <p>While their counter was peaceful, they were asked to move by police who said they feared inflaming a “tense situation”.</p> <p>Dana Pham, 34, a self-described constitutional monarchist whose parents emigrated as refugees from Vietnam, stood to one side holding a portrait of the late Queen.</p> <p>“I like everyone else want to see the gap closed,” she said.</p> <p>“Obviously there are a lot of issues affecting Aboriginal communities, but … the twisting of history does nobody any favours,” she said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

<p dir="ltr">The horrifying moment a carriage horse breaks down in the middle of a busy New York City street has angered animal activists.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heartbreaking footage shows the horse's knees buckling, possibly due to the weight of the carriage it's been pulling all day in the heat, when it fell to the ground. </p> <p dir="ltr">The driver could be seen shouting multiple times at the horse, known as Ryder, to “get up” and slapping it to get up. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one person can be heard saying. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop slapping him,” another woman called out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he once again whipped the horse with the reins.</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver then removed the carriage with the help of an onlooker as police arrived and sprayed Ryder with water. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ryder then attempted to get up several times but failed until an adrenaline shot was administered.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour.</p> <p>Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more. <a href="https://t.co/vXBVRJRjPB">pic.twitter.com/vXBVRJRjPB</a></p> <p>— PETA (@peta) <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1557504250359361537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">After an hour or so, the horse was back on its feet and was taken to an unknown location to be looked at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tony Utano, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 slammed those who attacked the driver for jumping to conclusions saying the horse, Ryder, was suffering from EPM. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We thank everyone for their concern about Ryder, one of the beloved Central Park carriage horses,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is another example why people shouldn't rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, this did not stop animal rights group PETA from calling out the practice, which constantly puts horses in danger.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour,” PETA wrote.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many other supporters have called for the ban of carriage horses to be replaced with electric vehicles. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Mona Lisa gets caked in climate activist stunt

<p>The Mona Lisa has been targeted by vandals, when a visitor at the Louvre museum in Paris smeared frosting all over the Renaissance-era painting’s protective glass.</p> <p>The man posed as an elderly visitor in a wheelchair and a wig as he approached the painting, before throwing a piece of cake at the famous artwork, according to a statement from the Louvre.</p> <p>The vandal then walked away from the scene before being approached by security. </p> <p>“A visitor simulated a disability in order to use a wheelchair to approach the work, which was installed in a secure display case,” the statement noted.</p> <p>“The Louvre applied its usual procedures for people with reduced mobility, allowing them to admire this major work of art."</p> <p>“While standing near the painting, this individual threw a pastry he had hidden in his personal belongings at the Mona Lisa’s glass case."</p> <p>“This act had no effect on the painting, which was not damaged in any way.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can anybody translate what ole dude was saying as they where escorting him out?😂 <a href="https://t.co/Uy2taZ4ZMm">pic.twitter.com/Uy2taZ4ZMm</a></p> <p>— Lukeee🧃 (@lukeXC2002) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukeXC2002/status/1530940469492035584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>A spokesperson clarified that visitors in wheelchairs are allowed to move in front of other museum-goers to better see the artworks. </p> <p>The 36-year-old man was arrested and taken to a psychiatric infirmary in the police headquarters, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.</p> <p>An investigation has been opened by the prosecutor for “the attempt of damaging a cultural property”.</p> <p>In a video shared by a museum-goer to Twitter, the man is heard yelling in French, “Think of planet Earth, there are people destroying it” while security escorts the man, with rose petals scattered on the floor of the museum.</p> <p>Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, arguably the most famous painting in the world, draws millions of visitors each year to see her enigmatic smile. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter @klevisl007</em></p>

Legal

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“You’re a disgrace”: Young activist confronts Scott Morrison

<p dir="ltr">A 20-year-old self-described “progressive activist” was ejected from a western Sydney venue after gatecrashing a private event Scott Morrison was holding there and heckling the Prime Minister about the 2019-2020 bushfire response.</p> <p dir="ltr">Adisen Wright, who is listed online as a Young Labor Left supporter according to <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-election-2022-scott-morrison-campaign-event-crashed-in-sydney-by-activist-linked-to-alp/e4f59354-e81c-4b05-a2fa-6cf7c8f00ff2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em>, shared the video of his interaction with Mr Morrison on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@adisenofficial/video/7085648368055192833?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=adisenofficial&amp;t=1649805085346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> with the caption, “Help me. I tried asking the PM a question and have been detained”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The four-minute video starts with Mr Wright in a friendly manner, saying, “Scomo … I just wanted to say hi, I’m pretty astounded as a young bloke here, it’s good to see you”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Can I get a photo, is that alright?” he asks, panning the camera to show Mr Morrison’s face.</p> <p dir="ltr">When Mr Morrison realises he’s being filmed, he asks whether Mr Wright is part of the “press pack”, to which Mr Wright says, “No, no, I’m a local, I live up in the (Blue) mountains”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e5dccbe5-7fff-fc27-e6a8-09e8264778c3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I just want to ask one question, ScoMo,” he says, before Mr Morrison realises he is still being filmed and confronts Mr Wright about it.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been confronted by a self-described ‘social activist’ who gatecrashed a private function to tell the PM he was a ‘disgrace’ over his handling of bushfires and floods. DETAILS &gt; <a href="https://t.co/wyZAj8DBSl">https://t.co/wyZAj8DBSl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusPol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusPol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusVotes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusVotes</a> <a href="https://t.co/6uOXhkRaO8">pic.twitter.com/6uOXhkRaO8</a></p> <p>— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) <a href="https://twitter.com/theheraldsun/status/1514008020543754240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">After Mr Morrison tells Mr Wright that the event, held at the Nepean Rowing Club in Penrith, is private and walks away, the situation quickly becomes heated as Mr Wright continues to try and talk to the prime minister.</p> <p dir="ltr">“ScoMo, across the river here, across the Nepean River, people lost their houses and they were burnt,” Mr Wright says, before shouting, “You’re a disgrace! You are a disgrace!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Wright then walks out of the venue with a police officer following behind him who goes on to question him for a few minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Look, I didn’t know it was a private event. I genuinely didn’t. So I apologise for that,” he tells the officer in the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I just wanted to ask a question because look … I obviously care about government and in our area we got, our house was incredibly impacted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We just want some action.”</p> <p dir="ltr">NSW Police said officers were called to the venue at about 7.35pm, where they issued a move-on direction to Mr Wright, who left without incident.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e0be0610-7fff-193b-cc8e-1c0a6cf59db4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

News

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Renowned activist strips down again moments after leaving court

<p>A vegan activist notorious for her outlandish stunts has staged another topless protest in Perth. This comes moments after being convicted for a similar stunt.</p> <p>A magistrate on Wednesday found her guilty of disorderly conduct, after she stormed the Perth Louis Vuitton store wearing only underwear and covered in fake blood in August of 2021.</p> <p>Outside the court, Peterson once again stripped down, baring her chest - with only her nipples covered - which showed the message “wear ur own skin!”</p> <p>Video of the Louis Vuitton stunt shows Peterson topless in her underwear, her body smeared with fake blood as she berated customers in-store.</p> <p>The well-known vegan activist stormed the Rain Square boutique, armed with a sign reading “rather be naked than wear someone else’s skin”.</p> <p>Inside the store, Peterson can be seen shouting and yelling in front of customers and their children that “there is blood on your hands if you’re not a vegan”, before she is escorted out.</p> <p>Her boyfriend and co-accused Jack Higgs and another protestor filmed the act for social media. The trio did not deny undertaking the protest, but argued they were not acting disorderly.</p> <p>“I’m just using my bodily freedom to raise awareness for those who have no bodily autonomy,” she said outside court last week.</p> <p>While Peterson was on Wednesday convicted of acting disorderly, magistrate Michelle Harries found Peterson’s boyfriend and the third protestor not guilty of the charges against them.</p> <p><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

Legal

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Activist arrested for planning party for Queen's Covid diagnosis

<p>Extinction Rebellion activist Eric Serge Herbert has been arrested over allegedly organising an "anti-monarch street party" in honour of Queen Elizabeth's recent Covid-19 diagnosis. </p> <p>In a recent social media post, Eric called people to "rejoice by dancing" in Sydney's inner west suburb of Newtown this Saturday. </p> <p>He also added that anyone who attended could "imagine the corpse of the oppressors being mangled beneath our feet."</p> <p>The Facebook event page for the party said, "It’s about time we overthrow the queen and the rule of the monarch."</p> <p>"We need sound systems, lots of glitter, tools to dig up the road, tires of barricades, fire and rage."</p> <p>Her Majesty tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, and is reportedly experiencing mild cold-like symptoms. </p> <p>Her positive diagnosis comes one week after her eldest son Prince Charles tested positive for a second time since March 2020. </p> <p>According to the Daily Mail, defence lawyer Mark Davis argued that the party was a joke and that the 23-year-old was not actually planning to go ahead with the bash. </p> <p>Police have alleged that in planning the party, Herbert breached the bail conditions granted to him when he appealed a 12-month prison sentence for blockading coal trains in the Hunter region of New South Wales last year.</p> <p>Mr Davis relayed that his client denied breaching his bail and that the social media post was intended in jest. </p> <p>"I’ll put this bluntly because I think it needs to be – this is a comedic post, it’s an ironic post," he said.</p> <p>Magistrate Joy Boulos granted Herbert bail, agreeing he clearly did not intend to go to the party, but told him to stay away from social media. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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Karl loses it over Instagram models defending their activist brother

<p dir="ltr">Karl Stefanovic has been reduced to a fit of laughter over two Instagram models’ fight for their recently incarcerated activist brother.</p> <p dir="ltr">Elisha and Renee Herbert, Aussie-born twins, models, influencers and vegan activists, have taken to their social media accounts to defend their 22-year-old brother Eric, who was arrested after his latest political stunt.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eric climbed on top of a train in Newcastle in an attempt to disrupt the city’s coal industry, and was handed a 12 month sentence on Monday for obstructing the locomotive and attempting to hinder mining equipment.</p> <p dir="ltr">In defence of his actions, Elisha and Renee likened Eric’s climate activism to the plight of the famous black civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, or Rosa Parks.</p> <p dir="ltr">When discussing Eric’s arrest on the Today Show, Karl mocked the twins’ outlandish claims.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I mean these professional protesters - they're stopping industry. What a great leader,” Karl sarcastically said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stefanovic then played a clip of King's famous 'I have a dream' speech, and continued to dismiss the models.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Gives you chills doesn't it. Arguably the greatest speech in history.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Roll forward 58 years and meet Eric Serge Herbert. Jailed in Newcastle Local Court for an anti coal mine protest.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“His sisters from the Sunshine Coast living in LA - that's a long way from Caloundra - are keeping it real, comparing their brother to Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and more surprisingly Rosa Parks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Elisha has stood by her public support of her brother, unleashing an angry tirade to her millions of Instagram followers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People say 'he stopped a coal train he deserves what he gets or he made people an hour late to work'… are you actually kidding me?” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People are getting mad that they were one hour late to work once, well in 20 years when the world is f***ing dying and there is nothing you can do, nothing to reverse it, your not going to care about 20 years ago when you were one hour late to work so don't you dare f***ing say that is justice. That is not justice.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Today / Instagram</em></p>

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