Two climate activists who taped themselves to a painting in London's National Gallery have been found guilty of criminal damage in a British court.

The sentence expected by the 23-year-old and the 22-year-old is to be announced at a later date, according to the Westminster Magistrates' Court, according to the PA news agency.

The two activists belong to the organization Just Stop Oil, which has drawn attention to itself in recent months with several similar actions and road blockades. At the famous National Gallery in early July, they first covered John Constable's 1821 landscape painting "The Hay Wain" with a poster-printed, somber version of the image, and then taped their hands to the frame. According to the report, the cost of restoring the image and installing a protective screen was £1,081.

The demands of Just Stop Oil

With the actions, Just Stop Oil is asking the British government to stop issuing new licenses for oil and gas projects. According to climate researchers, new fossil projects are not compatible with the internationally agreed climate goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times.

In the coming week, the next protest action by climate activists in London's National Gallery is to be negotiated directly: The pictures of the women who threw tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh's famous sunflower painting went around the world. In Germany, too, there have recently been increased campaigns in which activists have stuck themselves to works of art to draw attention to the climate crisis.