Vandalizing art is more akin to cultural terrorism than constructive activism

By Vijay Jayaraj

A swirl of tomato soup engulfs Van Gogh’s vibrant “Sunflowers.” Mashed potatoes mar Monet’s serene “Water Lilies.” Around the globe, priceless artworks endure desecration in the name of climate activism. On a recent weekend, so-called eco-activists threw yellow soup on da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” at the Louvre in Paris. These acts are a vile destruction of beauty in the name of a dangerous worldview.

Peaceful protest of injustice is an important aspect of our civilization. Be it the civil rights movement of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the U.S. or the freedom movement of India’s Mahatma Gandhi, nonviolent demonstrations can communicate important messages. Ongoing protests by farmers in Europe are good examples of objections to concerning and overreaching tyrannical policies.

But radical elements fueled by green funding are engaged in anti-humanistic activities that do no good for society. Chosen targets — irreplaceable cultural treasures — often bear no relationship to the purportedly environmental cause. Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” for instance, is a symbol of human ingenuity and artistic expression, not fossil fuel emissions. Vandalizing such works is more akin to cultural terrorism than constructive activism.

Environmental protests are not new. Many decades back, Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, along with other founding members of the organization, went on small boats to protest the hunting of whales that threatened the species’ existence.

Gone are the days of meaningful environmental demonstrations. Today, eco-fascists protest the consumption of meat and even the right to be born. For these self-anointed enforcers of irrationality, the use of cars, aircraft and ethically sourced natural resources is off-limits — at least to others. The list goes on.

The worst part is that many don’t care if people die as a result of their actions. In 2021, in response to allegations that climate activists were blocking important British highways, Xtinction Rebellion founder Roger Hallam unashamedly said, “I would block an ambulance with a dying patient onboard.”

Last week, jet-setting Greta Thunberg joined climate activists from the same Xtinction Rebellion to block access to Farnborough Airport in England. Their demand: Stop the expansion of the airport and end private jet operations.

Around the world, environmental nonprofits and eco-funded activists seek to stop projects essential to improving the socioeconomic conditions of billions of people. In many instances, these disruptions share ideological objectives with green policies perpetrated by international political institutions like the United Nations and the World Economic Forum.

In Africa, climate activists wanted to cancel an 895-mile-long pipeline from Uganda’s Lake Alberta region, which has the potential to carry 216,000 barrels per day and provide indirect employment for more than 105,000 people.

In India, activists want to end dozens of hydrocarbon projects across the country — initiatives that would directly contribute to the energy independence of a country that relies heavily on imported hydrocarbons.

Poverty undeniably remains a crippling reality for vast swaths of Africa and Asia. Billions still grapple with securing access to clean water, sanitation, nonpolluting cooking fuels and reliable electricity. Infrastructure development holds the promise of changing this narrative, injecting much-needed capital, creating jobs and laying the groundwork for future prosperity.

By disrupting fossil fuel projects, activists contradict their claim of caring for people’s economic future. A thoroughly anti-human philosophy that envisions an Earth untouched by people has them blindly adhering to an unscientific theory of a climate emergency.

This commentary was first published at Washington Times on February 7, 2024.

Vijay Jayaraj is a Research Associate at the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia.  He holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, U.K.