Hi! It’s konkaz (@konkazuk).
The gallery I work at sometimes carries out bag searches as part of security checks.
The purpose of this process is to check the contents of visitors’ bags and items when they enter the gallery, in order to protect both the exhibits and the safety of those inside.
A recent event at another gallery in London caused the return of bag search duties, which had not been in place for some time.
Since the incident was related to “climate change“, it leaves me with rather mixed feelings.
In this post, I reflect on the bag search procedures implemented to prevent specific events and my personal struggles with performing this task—resulting in a rather uneasy article.
Just Stop Oil…？
A “bag search” is a procedure typically carried out for a set period when a security alert is issued by the government following incidents such as terrorist attacks.
However, in recent years, the group “Just Stop Oil” has repeatedly targeted paintings in galleries as part of their protests against environmental destruction caused by fossil fuels.
After spraying or hammering renowned paintings, they sit in front of them to protest against fossil fuel consumption and extraction. They then spread the footage on social media.
Due to the frequent occurrence of such protests, bag searches have been implemented as a security measure.
In 2022, members of the group suddenly appeared at the gallery where I work and carried out a protest by spraying ‘NO NEW OIL’ beneath a large replica of The Last Supper.
Luckily, no damage was done to the artwork, but the unexpected event left visitors in shock.
What I heard from visitors and colleagues after the incident went something like this:
“So they target oil paintings because they’re called ‘Stop Oil’? What about the oil in their own shoes? That doesn’t really make sense, does it?”
“Going after a famous painting that people admire and come to see, just to damage it… That’s simply outrageous, isn’t it?”
To be honest, at that moment, I completely agreed with them.
It’s us who are out of our minds!
For a while, no such incidents occurred, and bag searches were no longer conducted.
However, on 27th September 2024, members of Just Stop Oil appeared at the National Gallery and threw soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
As a result, bag searches were brought back to the gallery where I work.
Having your bag checked by someone else is something most people don’t mind nowadays, especially since it’s common practice at airports. However, about one in twenty people—especially older, wealthy customers—will openly show their displeasure or even lose their temper.
Oh, come on! Those guys again? Because of those idiots, we have to go through this hassle? It’s seriously infuriating. They’re nothing but a bunch of insane scumbags!
There are quite a few people who leave comments like this, but since I’ve been reading a lot of books and articles about climate change recently, my perspective on their protests has started to shift. To be honest, I can no longer simply agree with these comments.
People often link “Stop Oil” to oil paintings, but in reality, it’s not about that… The real reason behind these protests is that…
many museums and galleries are funded by oil companies.
Museums like the National Gallery and the British Museum have historically received sponsorship from BP. The use of expensive artworks to enhance the brand image of the fossil fuel industry is one of the reasons they are being targeted.
Furthermore, for the wealthy, artworks are not just pieces of art but also investment assets.
In this sense, the attacks can be viewed as a direct challenge to the wealthy, whose “expensive investments” are tied to the very system that drives environmental destruction.
The purpose is to trigger reactions like ‘Don’t damage art!’ and then shift the debate to, ‘But are you fine with lives being lost due to climate change?
Moreover, as I wrote in my blog recently, environmental activist Naomi Klein states in her book that…
oil companies have already secured the rights to future oil extraction to meet shareholder expectations, and the amount is nearly five times the CO₂ limit that can be emitted by 2050.
Cutting down on waste or shopping at local markets isn’t enough anymore. If we don’t take fundamental action to stop oil companies, our future is doomed!
And here I am, working a job that involves stopping the very people who are risking everything to make us all aware of the crisis humanity is facing…
In the middle of my shift, I took a chance and confessed to my colleagues, ‘Just between us, I actually sympathise with what the Just Stop Oil protesters did at the National Gallery when they threw soup on the painting.’
Naturally, my colleagues looked at me as if to say, ‘Uh… is this guy alright?’ or ‘Is he really taking the side of people who destroy art?’
Not sure why, but luckily, I haven’t had to do bag searches since then.
Are the people protesting environmental destruction being thrown in jail?
So, while researching ‘Just Stop Oil,’ I came across a person named Roger Hallam, an environmental activist, as seen in the photo below.
Roger is said to be one of the founders of both ‘Just Stop Oil’ and another well-known organization called ‘Extinction Rebellion’.
Currently, he is reported to have been sentenced to five years in prison for organising protests that blocked highways, causing public disturbance in protest of environmental issues.
In the latest news, Gaie Delap, a 78-year-old member of Just Stop Oil and former teacher, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for her involvement in environmental protests. After serving part of her sentence, she was moved to house arrest in November last year.
However, due to health issues, the standard ankle tracking tag couldn’t be used, and when the replacement wrist tag didn’t fit, she was sent back to prison under the justification of ‘inability to monitor’ her.
The reality that an elderly woman is being treated like this just for raising awareness about environmental issues feels deeply unsettling to me.
What’s more, with reports emerging that the Labour Party is supporting the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, I find myself worrying about the Earth and what lies ahead for the future of our children.
It’s probably the same in many countries…
Well then, that’s all for now.
Peace.
konkaz
*You can read this blog post in Japanese from the link below.
👉 環境活動家による美術館での抗議活動と、セキュリティ業務に従事する自分の複雑な心境