July 8 2023 MANHATTAN, New York – Climate activists disrupted the NYC museum by holding a silent protest in front of multiple exhibitions to “Free the Degas Two”, Washington DC Activists who are charged with “Conspiracy and Damaging National Gallery of Art Exhibit”.
On Saturday, July 8th about 40 climate activists, from Extinction Rebellion and Rise & Resist, disrupted over eight exhibits at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (“The Met”), in protest of the charges.
Group says the protest is “provoked by the extremely excessive charges pressed against
Joanna Smith and Tim Martin (referred to as “The Degas Two”), both members of the climate
group Declare Emergency, for their symbolic, nonviolent action at the National Gallery of Art on April 27th, 2023.”
According to the unsealed Indictment, Timothy Martin and Joana Smith (know as The Degas Two), smeared paint on the glass case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer statue at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The indictment further alleges that Martin and Smith agreed, along with others, to enter the National Gallery of Art for the purpose of “injuring the exhibit”.
Indictment states that Martin and Smith entered the National Gallery of Art armed with plastic water bottles filled with paint, proceeded to smear paint on the case and base of the exhibit, at times “smacking the case with force.”
Indictment claims that Smith and Martin caused approximately $2,400 in damage and the exhibit was removed from public display for ten days so that it could be repaired.
Following the wave of climate protests occurring in museums, NYC the group silently sat in front of multiple artworks throughout The Met, holding signs with messages such as “No Art On a Dead Planet” and “No Fashion On a Dead Planet.”
NYC solidarity protest refrained from touching any art pieces and set in silence. After about 20 minutes, they left the museum, staging a group “die-in” on the front steps.
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