Climate protesters glue themselves to Picasso painting at Melbourne’s NGV

A protester has warned Melburnians to expect more chaos this week after he was arrested for gluing himself to a Picasso painting.

A climate protester who was arrested for gluing himself to a Picasso painting has warned Melburnians to expect more chaos this week.

Three protesters were arrested at the National Gallery of Victoria on Sunday after they glued their hands to the protective covering of Picasso’s ‘Massacre in Korea’ about 12.40pm.

Extinction Rebellion campaigner Tony Gleeson and a woman stood on both sides of the 1951 piece above a banner that read ‘climate chaos = war + famine’.

The 59-year-old Footscray man and 49-year-old New South Wales woman were removed from the painting almost an hour-and-a-half later by police.

A 49-year-old Williamtown man was also arrested at the scene.

It’s understood no damage was done to the artwork during the demonstration.

Mr Gleeson told 3AW the protest was carefully planned by the group.

“We prepared long and hard for this,” he said.

“We don’t go into this lightly, we are very well-prepared and that includes knowledge of the products we use and the impacts on both our hands and also on the artwork.”

Mr Gleeson said the group knew there was a covering on the artwork that wouldn’t harm it.

“It’s one of the factors that influenced our decision on that particular painting,” he said.

Extinction Rebellion protesters glued themselves to a painting at Melbourne’s NGV. Picture: Jane Morton

Mr Gleeson said he would “absolutely” do it again.

“This isn’t a threat or anything but we will do what it takes, nonviolently, to get where we need to be right now,” he said.

“We accept responsibility for what we did.”

Mr Gleeson said he expects to be charged and warned of more “disruptive” protests in Melbourne’s CBD this week, including blocking main roads and streets.

“Essentially to be successful in this work, you have to disrupt people,” he said.

The environmental group said the artwork showed the horrors of war.

“Two Rebels have glued on to the glass of Picasso’s ‘Massacre in Korea’,” the group said in an online post.

“This painting shows the horrors of war. Climate breakdown will mean an increase in conflict around the world. Now is the time for everyone and all institutions to stand up for action!”

Extinction Rebellion has staged demonstrations across Australia and around the world to encourage stronger government action against climate change.

Founded in 2018, the global international movement group describes itself as “a decentralised, international and politically nonpartisan movement using nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency”.

In October last year, eight Extinction Rebellion demonstrators were arrested in Adelaide after they glued themselves to an Adelaide road, triggering major traffic delays.

In 2020, 30 people were arrested at an environmental rally in Sydney after demonstrators refused to move off a busy road in the city’s CBD.