Climate activists surrounded an Emily Carr painting of maple syrup at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday afternoon (November 12). Two climate activists, Erin Fletcher and another person with the activist group Stop Fracking Around, poured maple syrup on Carr’s “Stumps and Sky” painting in the gallery, then taped it to the wall. According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), the two women then “posed for a third person who appeared to be taking pictures or video,” writes Sgt. Addison in an email to VIA, adding that staff at the Vancouver Art Gallery called police the afternoon after the incident. The act is to “require an end to the Onshore Gas Link Pipeline on Unassigned Wet’suwet’en Lands” and draw attention to drilling under the Wedzin Kwa River in northern BC, a press release from the group says. “We are taking this action after Memorial Day to remind ourselves of the countless deaths that have occurred, and will continue to occur, due to the greed, corruption and incompetence of our leaders,” Fletcher says, adding that “Wet’ suwet “The nation has made it very clear that they do not want this pipeline on their unceded lands.” The group also claims to be acting on a statement by First World War Canadian Corps Commander Julian Byng, who said “in an emergency the man who does something is sometimes wrong, but the man who does nothing is always wrong”. “We believe we know who the women are and will conduct a full investigation,” writes Sgt. Addison. “No arrests have been made at this time.” An official statement from the Vancouver Art Gallery confirms that two people vandalized the painting, which is part of the gallery’s permanent collection. “We support the free expression of ideas, but not at the expense of suppressing the ideas and artistic expressions of others or otherwise preventing people from accessing those ideas.” says Anthony Kiendl, Director and CEO of the Vancouver Art Gallery. The statement also adds that staff believe no permanent damage has been done to the artwork.
