When, where, and which climate activists have vandalized museums

Abstract

Some climate groups have employed disruptive but non-violent tactics to draw public attention to the slow progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, a new disruptive tactic emerged: vandalizing art and museums. In this Brief Communication, we describe the key findings which are based on an exhaustive search of media articles and social media postings. We find that almost all 38 reported incidents occurred during May–December 2022, with protests peaking around the COP 27 conference in Sharm El Sheikh, November 6–18. Once the COP conference was over, museum incidents dwindled to only three in December. Museum vandalism took place in eleven countries, nine of which are in Europe. Even within Europe, 60% of the incidents occurred in just three countries: Germany, Italy, and the U.K. We find sixteen groups were involved in these incidents, but three groups account for 58% of them: Ultima Generazione (Italy and Vatican), Just Stop Oil (the U.K.), and Letzte Generation (Germany). Importantly, these groups are part of the A22 network, which suggests the possibility of some informal coordination on the staging and timing of museum events. None of the legacy environmental groups (such as Greenpeace) are involved in museum protests, although historically some have staged dramatic events to garner media attention.