Activists from Youth Demand made headlines when they pasted a photo of a Palestinian mother and child from Gaza over Pablo Picasso’s iconic painting ‘Motherhood’ in a protest against British arms sales to Israel at the National Gallery. The incident took place on 9th October, where the activists, Jai Halai and Monday-Malachi Rosenfeld, affixed the photo onto the protective glass of Picasso’s 1901 artwork and poured red paint on the floor.
Despite being detained by museum security, the National Gallery confirmed that there was no damage to the artwork. The photo used in the protest was captured by Palestinian journalist Ali Jadallah at Al-Shifa Hospital in March.
A spokesperson from Youth Demand expressed the group’s motive: condemning the UK’s support for Israeli arms and advocating for a two-way arms embargo to halt the violence and suffering in Palestine and Lebanon. Halai, a National Health Services worker, highlighted the dire situation faced by healthcare workers in the region, emphasising the urgent need for action.
Rosenfeld, a Politics and International Relations student, voiced his personal connection to the cause as a Jew, denouncing the atrocities in Gaza and calling for a free Palestine. The activists’ message resonated with the public, as 87% of Britons support a two-way arms embargo on Israel.
The National Gallery stated that the protest disrupted their operations temporarily but assured no harm was done to any paintings. This act follows a similar incident where activists poured soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ painting in 2022.
The protest occurred amidst escalating violence in Gaza, with the death toll surpassing 42,000, according to the Palestinian health ministry. As the UK government suspended some arms export licenses to Israel due to concerns about human rights violations, Prime Minister Keir Starmer opted against a complete ban, citing the need to differentiate between offensive and defensive weaponry.
The demonstration by Youth Demand reflects growing global discontent over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and calls for accountability in arms sales policies. The activists’ bold action sheds light on the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for international intervention to prevent further bloodshed and destruction.