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

Two Youth Demand activists were convicted of criminal damage after taping a graphic poster over Picasso's Motherhood at the National Gallery in London, demanding a two-way arms embargo on Israel. The verdict follows a protest stunt that included chants and red paint poured on the floor.

Two activists from the civil resistance group Youth Demand have been found guilty of criminal damage after targeting Pablo Picasso's 1901 masterpiece Motherhood at the National Gallery in London. The incident occurred on March 6, 2026, when the pair approached the painting and taped a graphic poster over its protective glass cover. Video footage shows security staff rushing to intervene, pulling down the poster as physical confrontations ensued. One guard grabbed an activist by his shirt and jacket and rushed him toward the exit, while the activist chanted 'Free, free, Palestine.' A second demonstrator sat on the floor near the painting and poured red paint across the gallery floor. The protest was organized to demand a two-way arms embargo on Israel, with activists shouting that 'The UK government is complicit in genocide.' The verdict marks the conclusion of legal proceedings against the individuals involved in the gallery disruption.