8 November 2022

Protester banned from Parliament House after gluing hand to historic painting

| Dione David
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Federal Police were called to Parliament House this morning when a climate protester glued her hand to a historic painting. Photo: Stop Fossil Fuel Subsidies (Twitter).

A painting inside Parliament House has become the latest artwork targeted by climate action protesters in a string of international incidents.

Federal police attended Canberra’s Parliament House at around 10:15 am after a woman glued herself to a historic artwork in protest against fossil fuels.

The painting depicting the suffragettes’ movement was protected by a sheet of perspex plastic and was undamaged.

The woman was removed from Parliament House and issued a banning notice, prohibiting her from entering Parliament House for 12 months.

READ ALSO Police using surveillance tech to identify, follow ‘freedom’ protesters still in ACT

A man who was part of the demonstration was also escorted out of Parliament House but faced no charges.

A police spokesperson said that while it was the first such incident they were aware of in the ACT, they were becoming increasingly common as protesters attempted to draw global attention to the climate crisis.

“Our guys are pretty adept these days at removing glue in these sorts of situations which are becoming quite common,” the spokesperson said.

Koala sculpture for climate protest at Canberra's Parliament House

An extinction rebellion protest for climate change earlier this year at Parliament House. Photo: Michele Kroll.

Last month, Extinction Rebellion activists glued their hands to a Picasso painting at the National Gallery of Victoria, and activists threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London.

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What a disgrace

Deliberately ruining someone’s artwork is a vindictive and nasty thing to do. You will not win support for your cause by behaving in this horrible way.
If you really care about the planet the best thing you can do is stop having kids. Also stop buying so many things (you don’t need a new phone every year), and start caring more about our water, and our animals.

‘ Repent, Repent, the end is nigh’ said the religious nutters and now the extinction rebellion nutters. Don’t worry petals, we’ll survive. Yes, it has been a bit wet but that’s the weather so no need to panic. The climate changes over eons, with or without us humans. Ice ages come and go. So just enjoy the beautiful day outside. The sun is shining, the grass is growing, the birds are singing. How annoying for a prophet of doom.

HiddenDragon7:07 pm 05 Nov 22

Narcissistic stunts like this are so offensive to the values and attitudes of middle Australia that one could be forgiven for thinking (without venturing too far into the realms of conspiracy theory) that they are part of a false flag operation orchestrated by fossil fuel interests to marginalise the more inconvenient bits of the environmental movement.

Ockham’s razor would suggest, though, that they are just narcissistic stunts.

They are selfless acts of love for fellow mankind. Maybe not for you, but for your children and grandchildren. Do you really want the government to keep giving your taxes to fossil fuel companies to make our planet unliveable? I really don’t get your distain for humanity

And yet, I don’t understand your disdain for the expression of humanity – works of art. Everything about this stunt screams hypocrisy and the hypocrites are too ideological to notice.

What part of the words CLIMATE CATASTROPHE don’t people understand? The UN’s Emissions Gap Report 2022 finds that the world must cut emissions by 45 per cent to avoid global catastrophe. Solutions to transform societies exist, but the time for collective, multilateral action is now. Do the folks slinging snarky comments about activists really believe they’ll be safe somehow from the extreme weather & resulting political instability scientists assure us is ramping up?

Run for the hills, we’re all doomed!

Climate change is real.

Man made climate change is a myth.

Thanks for your comment catsparx, on point and unfortunately true. I guess we are fortunate here that we have a glut of alternative climatology experts who delight in championing their version of truth.

Capital Retro5:11 pm 05 Nov 22

It’s the same as the Loch Ness monster.

Loch Ness is real and the monster is a myth. It’s a good little earner for some, however.

Capital Retro5:33 pm 05 Nov 22

Have you ever looked in the Yellow Pages for a climate scientist? I couldn’t find one!

If you don’t believe the thousands of scientists from 195 countries who contributed to the IPCC report, maybe you will believe the fossil fuel companies. Look up Shell Knew on youtube. Their own scientists knew in 1988.

This article doesn’t even mention the activists demand –
STOP Fossil Fuel Subsidies!
Our government is giving away $22,000 per minute. ($11.6 billion in 21/22), in subsidies to the fossil fuel industries. A fraction of what is going to renewables. That is your taxpayers money being used to fuel the climate crisis.
If you want to keep your comfortable Canberra lifestyle you need to get out on the streets with us. If you don’t like POTHOLES tell them!
Co2/methane emissions = raised temps = more water in the atmosphere = heavier rain = more potholes than they can fix in time for your morning commute.
Like the Suffragettes we have been asking nicely for 30-40 years, with petitions, letters to politicians, we even had a change of govt but still they are investing in our demise for quick short term profit.
When the Govt does not take responsibility for the safety of the people it is the duty of the people to stand up and make sure they are heard.

If you’ve been doing it for 30-40 years, have you ever thought that perhaps other people don’t agree with your causes?

Why do you believe its OK to use force and violence to get your own way?

And would you be OK with other people doing the same for causes you disagree with?

My Canberra lifestyle includes eating meat. Are you planning to ban that?

More Co2 = more plants. We learned in school it’s called the carbon cycle.
Over the last 3 billion years we went from a pure carbon atmosphere to miniscule amounts. Carbon/water is the limiting factor for most of the deserts becoming green? And you say it’s going to rain more?

Are you saying that we’ll have a more stable food supply if we can keep up the Co2?

The answer for potholes is just to use concrete, where the drainage can’t be managed. Roads shouldn’t be left soaking wet after rain, which freezes causing the holes.

Government should take responsibility for the education system. It’s clearly lacking.

Also China has no plans to go green. If that’s required what’s the plan?

Over 6 billion people on this Earth, What are your thoughts on that? No Sierra Club nonsense please

I meant people have been asking nicely for 30-40yrs, time for radical action to match the crisis we are in.
It is not a matter of opinion, or beliefs, I wish it was. Your house will be flooded or burned down, we will have food scarcity, refugees from flooded islands, famine whether you believe in the climate crisis or not.

Yes the education system is obviously clearly lacking. And your knowledge of current affairs is also severely lacking. Have you heard of the IPCC report? Or do you just think you know more than all those independent scientists from around the world who have been studying this for their whole careers?

Capital Retro6:46 pm 05 Nov 22

Can you tell me what the alleged $11.6 billion in fossil fuel subsidies are made up of?

Mostly fuel tax credits, also accelerated depreciation on plant, then a bunch of smaller things.

This protest didn’t raise awareness it simply polarised the community. The people supporting climate action still support and the people that don’t have moved further away.

Maybe have a quick look at history, there is a reason terrorism has never been success tool in actual change.

It’s clear what the goal here was ego busting

Capital Retro6:54 am 06 Nov 22

Let me help you. According to several sources I have found on the internet, the largest subsidy claimed is the federal Fuel Tax Credits Scheme, at $8.07 billion.

As I understand it, this scheme provides rebates for operators of petroleum powered vehicles who use roads generally not provided or maintained by the government. This includes primary industries, mining etc. Also included are the operators of solar and wind farms.

Have you calculated the sum of rebates given to the renewables sector? I think you will find the Federal Government invested $7.7 billion in renewables in the same period so renewables “subsidies” were much greater than those applied to fossil fuels.

Capital Retro9:08 am 06 Nov 22

Thanks Ian. Yes, I knew that and sent in another post but it must have been moderated.

Catada doesn’t have a clue.

Catada,
Answer the questions

Why do you believe that it’s OK to use force and violence to get your own way.

And would you be OK with other people doing the same for causes you disagree with?

There is no way that one person using a bamboo toothbrush, metal straws or walking rather than driving can have the kind of impact that we need to reduce the megatones of CO2 and Methane being pumped into the atmosphere daily.
Have you not noticed the extreme weather events? or will you not care until the bushfires or floods are lapping at YOUR door. Are you more upset about potholes?

That’s OK then, I guess that COP27 will be business as usual for carpetbaggers in their private jets

Capital Retro6:58 am 06 Nov 22

Which extreme weather events are you referring too? A bushfire isn’t a “weather event”, it is a natural occurrence along with floods and droughts. What did they teach you at school?

Individual responsibility is a red herring that lets the fossil fuel industry off the climate catastrophe hook.
There is no way that one person using a bamboo toothbrush, metal straws or walking rather than driving can have an impact that we need to reduce the megatones of CO2 and Methane being pumped into the atmosphere daily.

How much did she pay to be unglued. Should have left her there.

Why doesn’t she glue her hands to the sliding doors of the QANTAS Chairman’s lounge. After all, she can talk to her Green colleagues as they enter the lounge prior to their next junket

These protesters are such hypocrites. Nearly all these anti fossil fuel protesters come from interstate and arrive to Canberra in cars, buses and aircraft. Their protest T-shirts are made from cotton and polyester – the latter a product from oil. I assume the glue they’re using is also produced from fossil fuels.

I disagree with their argument but would respect their protest if they arrived here by walking or by bicycle and didn’t use ANY products that were made from oil. They talk the talk in regards to what they want but are not willing to walk the walk.

Hypocrites the lot of them.

Re clothing. It depends where they got it. Several years ago I decided to only buy for nearly all my clothing only national material. I have stuck with that. However, I make an exception for secondhand, as that’s reusing. (So far though, by pure change, they have all been natural fibre too.) If her non natural clothes were secondhand (reused) that would be acceptable, but otherwise I agree with you abut clothes.

Sure, we are hypocrites. Every one of us, almost by definition. Hypocrisy is the gap between your aspirations and your actions. We have high aspirations – We want to live more ethically – and we will always fall short. But the alternative to hypocrisy isn’t moral purity (no one manages that), but cynicism. Give me hypocrisy any day – George Monbiot

“We have high aspirations – We want to live more ethically – and we will always fall short.”

So you are condoning YOUR use of oil, coal and gas but you are not condoning OUR right not to listen to your attention seeking nonsense?

Take it up with George, at any rate the point of the comment just went woosh over your head. As far as attention seeking nonsense and your rights, I never mentioned it. Stay on topic.

Bizi Kat – you and your mates couldn’t go over anyone’s head because your arguments hold no water (apparently like our dams weren’t supposed to when your Australian of the Year officially said that the dams would never fill again).

Also, I’m intrigued as to why you and many of your supporters have “Kat” or “Cat” in your names? Are you the same person? If not, is it because you and your mates are prone to go feral?

At least the art was covered by glass. These idiots need to be charged, not just marched out and prevented from attending parliament house again for a year.

swaggieswaggie5:42 pm 04 Nov 22

So what has that achieved? The level of awareness hasn’t been raised given its already pretty much full on. I guess the next item in the braindead activist’s playbook is that old chestnut to “demand action” – always good for a headline. Then…..mmm drive home, turn on the heater or air conditioning, have a long piping hot shower, change your outfit into some fast fashion leisure wear, watch some ABC Tv for the afternoon, or use the Internet writing emails to your MP “demanding action” and then order up a chai latte takeaway from deliveroo before you drive over to meet your greenie friends for an evening Vegan meal in Braddon and have a moanfest about the climate some more.

Leave her there.

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