Janice R. Andrews
Two activists attacked a marble bust of Queen Victoria as they broke into Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in a startling act of protest. The culprits covered the bust’s head with jam and oatmeal and painted an obscene word in pink paint on the plinth. The activists, identified as 23-year-old Hannah Taylor and 30-year-old Sorcha Ní Mháirtín, attached themselves to the plinth and were later arrested by Police Scotland.
The incident caused the museum to briefly close, and it later partially reopened. The vandalized bust’s exhibit, however, is still closed until the damage is assessed. The group in charge of the museum, Glasgow Life, denounced the action and said protesters against climate change were responsible. Despite mentioning continuing conservation efforts to rectify any damage caused, they claimed that the vulgarity will be removed.
The activists, who belong to an organization called “This Is Rigged,” have promised to take additional steps to correct the injustices they see in the world. Their requests include the establishment of community food hubs sponsored by the Scottish Government and a reduction in retail costs for infant formula to levels as of March 2021.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Sorcha Ní Mháirtín underlined food as a fundamental human right and brought attention to Scotland’s growing food insecurity situation.
The event at Kelvingrove Museum comes after the group’s earlier protests, which included destruction at Edinburgh Castle and Sainsbury’s. Their efforts are intended to address the concerning recurrence of diseases associated with hunger in Scotland and to call attention to systemic flaws in the distribution of food.
While the group’s demands for action continue to be heard amid mounting worries over social inequity and food security, authorities are looking into the incident.
