A portrait of King Charles III in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh was vandalized by climate activists on Wednesday — despite the monarch long championing environmental causes.
Two members of climate action group This is Rigged staged the protest at 2 p.m. and spray-painted the group’s flame logo in neon pink on the monarch’s body and “the people are mightier than a lord” on the painting’s background, the Herald Scotland reported.
The phrase reportedly comes from the historic Highland Land League, who, in the late 19th century, also used direct action techniques like rent strikes and land occupations to secure rights for peasants who were being forced from their ancestral lands by land owners.
This is Rigged has demanded that the Scottish government halt all future oil and gas licenses and create a “fair and fully funded transition for oil workers,” according to the outlet.
The group also threatened to “shut down the Scottish oil industry” and continue its actions until the government meets its demands.
“Why does the Scottish government think it’s acceptable to keep allowing new oil and gas projects to go ahead, to not even opposing them? If we want a future — if the Scottish government want young people to have a future — they need to oppose all new oil and gas licenses,” one of the two young male protesters said as they squatted in front of the portrait, video shows.
“This is the most basic step they can take to secure a chance at a liveable future. Until this happens, we will continue to target the Scottish government, forcing them to use the powers they do have to stand up for the people.”
The other activist brought up the intense heat wave currently suffocating southern Europe as a pressing reason to move the country’s economy away from fossil fuels.
“In Portugal, it’s 40 degrees in the shade, right now. We’re going through unbearable heat, and it’s only going to get worse,” he said. “Scotland is the biggest oil producer in Europe (and second-biggest gas producer), and these emissions affect everyone. We all have a responsibility to stop them, and ensure a fair transition for oil and gas workers.”
The Modern Portrait Room was shut down for the rest of the day following the vandalism, though the rest of the gallery remained open to visitors, a spokesperson told the Herald Scotland.
“At the moment we are assessing the impact but there appears to be no sign of damage to any actual artwork,” the spokesperson said.
The two protesters, ages 21 and 28, were arrested about an hour later, police said.
In October, four climate change protesters from the group Just Stop Oil were arrested after shoving cake in the face of a wax statue of King Charles at Madame Tussauds in London.
For his part, the King has a history of supporting environmental causes and speaking out on climate change long before he ascended the throne.
At the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2020, the then-prince told the Time of London that “global warming, climate change and the devastating loss of biodiversity” is “the greatest threats humanity has ever faced.”