In Australia, climate activists glue themselves to Picasso painting; get arrested

Two climate activists of Extinction Rebellion on October 9 glued themselves to a Pablo Picasso painting at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGC) in Melbourne. The protesters, who were arrested and released later, said that they wanted to draw attention to the environmental causes before the state election next month.

Picasso's 'Massacre in Korea' is an anti-war painting and depicts a firing squad attacking a group of naked women and children. 

Footage showed on social media shows one of the activists yelling, "stop coal, stop gas, stop oil, stop logging" as they stand by a sign reading "climate chaos= war and famine".

In a Facebook post, Extinction Rebellion Victoria said that the painting shows the horrors of war. "We are at the National Gallery of Victoria at the Picasso Century exhibition. Two Rebels have glued onto the glass of Picasso’s ‘Massacre in Korea’. This painting shows the horrors of war. Climate breakdown will mean an increase in conflict around the world. Now is the time for everyone and all institutions to stand up for action! This is day 2 of our Spring Rebellion. Join us on the streets for the next two weeks. We Rebel on the lands of the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation. Always was always will be Aboriginal land."

The NGV, which was briefly closed following the incident, said that the artwork was not harmed because of a protective layer of perspex glazing. 

"The protesters' hands were safely removed from the perspex with no harm to the work. Police escorted the protesters off the premises and the exhibition space was reopened to the public by 2.30 pm," an  official of the art gallery said.