Leo Gillick
A lot of people these days find that celebrating Columbus Day a little questionable. But protesters tossing red paint on a historic painting of Christopher Columbus appeared to have more to do with garnering outrage than protesting the controversial explorer himself.
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Interestingly, the protestors who threw paint on the painting of Christopher Columbus weren’t associated with colonialism, by political reputation. Instead, the two Spanish women were part of a group known as ‘Futuro Vegetal.’ This translates to vegetable future.
- I’m not sure what Spanish Columbus Day has to do with vegans, but who knows what going through their minds.
Peasfull Protest: The two angry vegans threw red paint all over a painting named First Tribute to Christopher Columbus, painted by artist Jose Garnelo in 1892. It was a celebration of the Spanish-funded expedition that placed him in the land of the original Americans.
- After they had ruined the painting of the intrepid coloniser, they unfurled a banner reading “October 12, nothing to celebrate. Ecosocial justice.” The message was vague and rather misguided, I feel. It comes across as more of an attention grab than a well-thought-out political statement.
馃敟 ACTUAMOS 馃敟
— FuturoVegetal馃崚 (@FuturoVegetal) October 12, 2025
馃敶 Lanzamos pintura biodegradable al cuadro "Primer Homenaje a Crist贸bal Col贸n", en el Museo Naval.
馃憠La celebraci贸n del 12 de octubre es la celebraci贸n de siglos de opresi贸n, explotaci贸n y genocidio de la poblaci贸n originaria de Abya Yala. pic.twitter.com/aXIWlMq7OB
Red Faced and Red Handed
The two vegetable activists were taken away by security. They were then taken into custody and charged with crimes against cultural heritage. They achieved little more than ruining a painting of Columbus with red paint and creating a public nuisance. Their flaccid attempt at political activism resulted in two criminal records, a spoiled painting, and vague banner-waving.
Neo Liberal Twaddle: Their empty and cack-handed political statement needed clarifying by one of the group’s spokespeople. They stated that the holiday 鈥渃elebrates centuries of oppression and genocide against the indigenous people of Abya Yala.”
- Their protest against colonialism and genocide is a sentiment shared by millions. It’s widely understood that the colonisation of the Americas and many other places around the world was brutal and unjust. But, toothless, showy protests like this hurt nobody, do nothing, and come across as childish and benign.
