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UK anti-oil campaigners target 'The Last Supper' copy

Activists sprayed paint on the wall and glued themselves to the frame of a copy of The Last Supper
Activists sprayed paint on the wall and glued themselves to the frame of a copy of The Last Supper

The UK campaign group Just Stop Oil has said activists have glued themselves to a painting at the Royal Academy in London, in the fifth such protest in a week.

A number of people from the direct action group sprayed paint under and stuck their hands to 'The Last Supper' - a full-scale copy of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous work - dating from circa 1520.

On Monday, two supporters of Just Stop Oil glued themselves to John Constable's "The Hay Wain" at the National Gallery in central London.

Last week, three other paintings, including one by Vincent van Gogh, were targeted at other galleries in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

Just Stop Oil wants the UK government to end approval of new oil and gas licences.

One of those involved in today's protest, former primary school teacher Lucy Porter from Leeds said the campaign would continue unless the government changed its policy.

Fellow activist Tristan Strange added: "Da Vinci said that art is the queen of all sciences, communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world.

"The science still isn't being heard," said Mr Strange, a 40-year-old community organiser from Swindon, west of London.

Police earlier announced that six Just Stop Oil protesters were charged with conspiracy to cause public nuisance after invading the track at the start of the British Grand Prix on Sunday.