Just Stop Oil activists have made a drastic bid for attention.
Two women threw tomato soup over Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers painting at the National Gallery in London around 11AM local time today (October 14).
A video of the shocking moment shared to Twitter by Just Stop Oil shows the two young activists taking off their coats to reveal 'Just Stop Oil' t-shirts.
They then hurl the contents of two tins of Heinz tomato soup over the 1888 painting, which has an estimated value of over $80 million per Sky News.
Watch the shocking moment unfold here:The activists then quickly superglue one hand each to the wall before one of them makes an impassioned speech to stunned onlookers.
"What is worth more? Art or life?" shouts the woman, who Sky News named as 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer.
She continued: "Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting? Or the protection of our planet and people?"
"The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of oil crisis. Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can't even afford to heat a tin of soup," she added, motioning to the empty tin in her hand.
"Meanwhile, crops are failing. Millions of people are dying in monsoons, wildfires, and severe drought. We cannot afford new oil and gas. It is going to take everything we know and love," Plummer shouts before a security guard approaches and ends her speech.
Per reports, visitors were quickly escorted out of the room in the gallery where Van Gogh's masterpiece is hung. The Metropolitan Police later announced in a tweet that both protestors had been arrested.
"Officers were rapidly on scene at the National Gallery this morning after two Just Stop Oil protesters threw a substance over a painting and then glued themselves to a wall," the force tweeted.
"Both have been arrested for criminal damage and aggravated trespass. Officers are now de-bonding them," they added.
The attack on Van Gogh's painting marks the 14th day of demonstrations linked to Just Stop Oil, a group protesting the UK government's new oil and gas licenses.
Over the past few days, members of the group have been blocking roads around London. Meanwhile, over 100 people were arrested by police last Sunday after protests reached a fever pitch.
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