Animal Rising activists deface official portrait with a character image and anti-cruelty message.
Animal rights activists from the group Animal Rising defaced the first official portrait of King Charles III since his coronation, displaying a protest at a London public gallery. The incident took place on Tuesday, with two activists placing the head of Wallace, a character from the “Wallace and Gromit” franchise, onto the monarch’s face.
The protest, captured on video, was met with shocked gasps from the onlookers. The message attached to the vandalized painting read: “No cheese, Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!” referencing Wallace’s iconic love for cheese, while drawing attention to alleged animal cruelty practices at farms certified by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
This act of vandalism highlights ongoing tensions between animal rights groups and organizations like the RSPCA, which they accuse of permitting unethical farming practices despite their certification. The protesters used this high-profile public setting to advance their message against perceived animal cruelty within the industry.