Six climate activists have been acquitted after smearing red paint on the protective glass in front of Claude Monet’s The Artist’s Garden at Giverny at Stockholm’s National Museum.
The defendants, from the group Restore Wetlands, also glued their hands to the glass and caused damage to the frame and protective covering—yet the district court dismissed the charges, citing a lack of criminal intent to cause damage. As a result, the museum will receive no compensation for the restoration costs.
Judge Thomas Arvefors explained that, in practice, comparable actions inside the museum are effectively allowed. He also said that spraying paint in a museum for a climate message is not equivalent to vandalizing public walls with graffiti.
The act caused around 160,000 SEK (€14,700) in staff costs, plus roughly 21,000 SEK (€2,000) for restoration and glass replacement.
The incident is part of a wider pattern in Europe, where climate extremist groups increasingly target cultural landmarks to convey political messages. Similar incidents have occurred at museums in London, Berlin, Rome, and The Hague.
Earlier in the year, Restore Wetlands activists were also acquitted after blocking the E4 highway in Solna, causing ambulances to get stuck in traffic.
A similar case unfolded in Spain on August 31st this year, when left-wing climate extremists targeted Barcelona’s Sagrada Família basilica, dousing parts of the landmark with red powder in protest against government inaction on wildfires. Police arrested several individuals, but they were released after paying fines of €600 each.
