The British Museum’s inaugural fundraising gala on October 18 was disrupted by a protester from the group Energy Embargo for Palestine. The woman, who gained access to the Great Court by working as a waitress, took the stage next to board chair George Osborne holding a sign reading “DROP BP NOW,” criticizing the museum’s £50 million sponsorship from BP and calling out the Ambani family, whose Reliance Industries also sponsored the gala and an associated exhibition. The event raised over $2 million from ticket sales, with a silent auction including lots like a pet portrait by Tracey Emin.
The protest highlights ongoing controversy over the British Museum’s financial ties to BP, an oil and gas company accused of contributing to climate change and enabling conflict in Gaza. The incident underscores growing pressure on cultural institutions to reconsider corporate sponsorships from fossil fuel companies, as artists and activists increasingly demand ethical alignment in museum funding. The museum’s decision to accept BP’s decade-long sponsorship has become a flashpoint in broader debates about art, money, and social responsibility.