Pro-Palestinian activists convicted of criminal damage after targeting Picasso artwork

ByALEX CARSONJULY 29, 2026 13:26Updated: JULY 29, 2026 13:27Pro-Palestinian activists involved in targeting Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece Motherhood at the National Gallery have been found guilty of criminal damage. The verdict follows a protest stunt where activists covered the famous artwork with an image related to the conflict in Gaza. The incident took place at the National Gallery in London, where two Youth Demand activists approached Pablo Picasso’s 1901 masterpiece Motherhood and taped a graphic poster over its protective glass cover.The action was organized by the civil resistance group Youth Demand to demand a two-way arms embargo on Israel. Video footage captured security staff rushing to intervene as the protesters affixed the image, immediately pulling the poster down while physical confrontations ensued.One guard grabbed an activist by his shirt and jacket and rushed him away toward the exit.As security forced him out, the activist began chanting, “Free, free, Palestine!” Meanwhile, a second demonstrator sat on the floor near the base of the painting and poured red paint across the gallery floor.Tourists gather outside the National Gallery, London August 4, 2015. London's Science Museum, and Natural History Museum are first and second most Googled Museums in the world according to London and Partners. (credit: PAUL HACKETT/REUTERS)'The UK government is complicit in genocide'Amid the ensuing commotion in Room 43, the activists shouted statements criticizing government policy, declaring that “The UK government is complicit in genocide.” The targeted painting, Picasso's Motherhood, is a celebrated piece housed within the gallery. The protest action was organized by Youth Demand to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and call for a halt to arms sales, with participants issuing statements via social media and group briefings explaining their opposition to government policy regarding the ongoing conflict.Legal proceedings subsequently moved forward against the individuals involved in the gallery disruption, culminating in the recent guilty verdicts for criminal damage.Follow us on Google