What Happened: Activists briefly covered Picasso’s “Motherhood” with a Gaza protest photo at a London gallery, calling for an arms embargo on Israel.
What you need to know: Activists briefly covered Picasso’s 1901 painting “Motherhood” with a photograph of a bloodied mother and child from Gaza at a London gallery. The protest aimed to draw attention to the situation in Gaza and call for an arms embargo on Israel, as reported by AFP.
What more: The National Gallery confirmed that two individuals were arrested after the incident but reassured that Picasso’s artwork was not damaged. The photograph was pasted onto the protective glass covering the painting.
Also: The protest was organized by the Youth Demand group, which shared a video on social media showing the moment when the photograph was removed by a security guard. In the video, one of the protesters is heard shouting, “Free, free Palestine” while being escorted out of the gallery by security and detained.
Additionally: The group’s actions were intended to highlight the ongoing violence in Gaza and push for stronger international action against Israel. Despite the disruption, the protestors ensured that the art piece was unharmed, as their focus was on making a political statement rather than damaging the gallery or its contents.