"This is what tasers were made for": Degas Little Dancer sculpture vandalized in viral video, sparks online outrage

Climate protesters targeted Edgar Degas’ renowned sculpture Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 27. The two activists smeared the glass case and the pedestal of the sculpture with red and black paint.

They were soon hauled off by the police inside the gallery. After the footage was shared on social media, the internet condemned this high-profile publicity stunt.

Following the incident, the museum was compelled to close the gallery where the sculpture was located as well as the adjacent rooms. Kaywin Feldman, the director of the National Gallery of Art, slammed the two protesters and noted that the FBI was helping in the probe. She said in a statement:

“We unequivocally denounce this physical attack on one of our works of art and will continue to share information as it becomes available.”

Netizens were also outraged by this unreasonable act of vandalism. Twitter user @realchuckrambo seemed quite frustrated and suggested that the police or the security should have used tasers to tackle these protesters.

Netizens react to climate activists vandalizing Degas' artwork. (Image via Twitter/@realchuckrambo)

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Climate activists' vandalism of Degas' sculpture leaves netizens furious

When a video of climate activists vandalizing Degas' Little Dancer inside the National Gallery of Art went viral on social media, people condemned the act. Some people wondered what the security was doing when the two protesters were vandalizing the artwork.

One user asked why these climate activists need to destroy a piece of art for them to be heard. They argued that the protesters' demands could have been paid attention to if they hadn't acted this way.

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Protesters in Washington, D.C., reason vandalizing Degas' sculpture

As per the Washington Post, the two instigators were identified as 54-year-old Timothy Martin of North Carolina and 53-year-old Joanna Smith of Brooklyn, New York City. The two are part of a climate group called Declare Emergency.

While the two smeared the paints on the glass case and the pedestal, several visitors took photos and videos of the moment. Timothy and Joanna later sat down on the floor and began to express their concerns about climate change.

Joanna said that she respects the National Gallery of Art and considers the place to be the highest element of human expression. She then complimented Degas’ sculpture and called it beautiful but then added that they were destroying it for climate change. Joana continued:

“We need our leaders to take serious action, to tell us the truth about what’s happening with the climate.”

Both protesters noted that they have children of their own and were doing so to secure the future of their children and other kids as well. Timothy said:

“For our children we are worried like most of Americans about climate and about the biodiversity crisis. And we need our leaders to step up, put their differences aside, and simply be responsible.”

Timothy added that they should not have been vandalizing art in the first place and should have been at home or their job. He said that he has a job that requires health and safety. However, Timothy claimed that he cannot focus on his job unless the government does its job of looking out for the health and safety of children.

Soon, the two were dragged to their feet by the police and were taken into custody. Joanna declined to comment on the matter when The Post reached out to her on Thursday night.

Degas’ sculpture had been displayed in a plexiglass case until before it was vandalized on Thursday. It was taken out of view after the incident and is set to undergo a damage assessment procedure by the museum’s conservation team. The gallery inside the museum, which housed the artwork till now, will remain closed until further notice.

This protest in Washington, D.C., is one of the many other climate change protests happening around the world, where protesters are targeting famous artworks.

Last year, climate activists splashed pea soup on a Vincent Van Gogh painting in Rome. Later in London’s National Gallery, Van Gogh’s iconic painting Sunflowers was also vandalized when two protesters threw tomato soup on it. Climate protesters in Australia glued themselves to an art by Andy Warhol and also graffitied on it.