This is the moment two climate activists threw red paint over a 133-year-old painting of Christopher Columbus in a Madrid museum.
The two female activists, from the Futuro Vegetal movement, were allegedly seen throwing biodegradable red paint over José Garnelo’s ‘First Tribute to Christopher Columbus’ at Madrid’s Naval Museum on Sunday.
A small gathered crowd shouted at them as they chucked the paint over the artwork, which depicts Columbus landing in the New World in 1492.
As they threw the paint, a guard sprinted in and slipped as he tried to stop them.
The two activists were then nabbed by other guards and unceremoniously carried out of the museum.
The pair were reportedly arrested for crimes against heritage. Futuro Vegetal claimed today that police were ‘condemning’ the two activists to hunger as they weren’t providing vegan food.
The museum said its workers were forced to undertake an on-the-fly restoration of the painting.
Visitors were asked to leave the museum to allow its staff to restore the painting, which it was able to do within just a few hours.
This is the moment two climate activists threw red paint over a 133-year-old painting of Christopher Columbus in a Madrid museum
The paint protest took place on October 12, a national holiday commemorating Spain’s legacy
The paint protest took place on October 12, a national holiday commemorating Spain’s legacy.
According to Futuro Vegetal, the activists were protesting the consequences of colonialism.
Celebrations on October 12 ordinarily see large military and naval parades take place across the country.
Spanish citizens also dress up in traditional regional clothes and throw street parties to celebrate.
But many also see it as a chance to protest. On the same day as the paint attack in Madrid, 20 activists took part in a sit-in at the Reina Sofía Museum in the city.
They sat in front of Guernica, Pablo Picasso’s famous anti-war painting that depicts the horrors that took place during the Spanish civil war in the town of the same name.
The two activists were nabbed by other guards and unceremoniously carried out of the museum
The museum said its workers were forced to undertake an on-the-fly restoration of the painting
The protesters, from the group Marea Palestina, held signs that read: ‘Stop genocide’.
They organised the sit-in to call for the end of military action in Gaza, as well as an arms embargo against Israel and the opening of humanitarian corridors to the enclave.
After 40 minutes, the group left the venue while chanting: ‘Long live free Palestine’.
