On Thursday, an environmental activist from the group Last Generation Canada hurled bright pink paint at Pablo Picasso's 1901 painting *L’hetaire* at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The protester, identified as 21-year-old Marcel, was arrested and later released pending a court appearance; two accomplices who filmed the act were detained and released without charge. The group cited the record-breaking heat wave in Winnipeg and Manitoba as a motivation, arguing that art is meaningless on a dead planet.
This incident is the latest in a series of climate protests targeting famous artworks in museums across Western Europe and the United States, including actions by Just Stop Oil and Last Generation chapters. While the protests aim to draw urgent attention to the climate crisis, they have divided public opinion and led to severe legal consequences for demonstrators. Notably, Last Generation Austria disbanded in August 2024 after facing death threats and overwhelming fines, signaling the high personal cost of such activism.