King Charles' Wax Figure Suffers Vandalization By Royal Critics
Since they can't assault the King of the United Kingdom without being arrested for treason, irate protestors chose to do the next best thing apparently, and threw pies in the face of the monarch's wax likeness (via The Guardian). Indeed, a pair of passionate folks wearing "Just Stop Oil" tee shirts were filmed vandalizing King Charles' wax figure at London's Madame Tussaud's Museum.
The video of the incident was going viral on Twitter, and follows another stunt by the activists that saw a group standing in the crosswalk at Abbey Road, made famous by the Beatles, and refusing to let traffic pass (via Sky News). The third stunt of the week involved Just Stop Oil protestors hurling soup at a Van Gogh painting at London's National Gallery (via The Conversation).
What do the protestors want? The U.K. plans to open new oil and gas fields in the North Sea, a move the group is staunchly against. As for King Charles' stance on the issue, the longtime climate advocate would reportedly not be in favor of any policy that puts his green agenda in jeopardy, making Just Stop Oil's move to vandalize his wax figure somewhat puzzling — a fact Twitter took notice of (via Big Issue).
The protestors aren't likely to stop anytime soon
While many Twitter users were left scratching their heads about why Just Stop Oil protestors would target King Charles' wax figure since the royal is largely considered an ally for green activists, others noted the monarch's hypocrisy given his use of private jets. No matter how environmentally-conscious King Charles is, the protestors likely just wanted to draw attention to their cause by pieing his wax figure in the face — while leaving queen consort Camilla's alone, puzzlingly.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Liz Truss, who supported the opening of the oil and gas fields, has resigned, and today it was announced that Rishi Sunak would take her place. He also supports the efforts of the oil and gas industry to expand, especially in light of the rising cost of oil in the region (via CNN and City A.M.).
Given Sunak's position, it seems likely that Just Stop Oil activists will continue their assault on the city, with one Twitter user saying that the mass media coverage of their stunts lends just the type of attention the group is seeking.