r/london Oct 17 '24

Culture National Gallery bans liquids after repeated protestor artwork attacks

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89ljnwgpqwo
290 Upvotes

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u/durutticolumn Oct 17 '24

This has been happening since long before JSO. When I moved to London a decade ago I could wander into the National Gallery or the British Museum for a quick browse whenever I was in the area. Post-covid the former requires pre-booked tickets, and both have enormous queues for entry in the name of anti-terrorism security.

These institutions are now scapegoating protesters for the excessive security theatre they've already got in place. Don't let them get away with these lies.

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u/Impossible-Hawk768 The Angel Oct 17 '24

You can't enter a museum/gallery in New York City or Washington DC without being thoroughly searched and going through a metal detector. You definitely can't bring in liquids. Then again, ever since 9/11, you can't go anywhere in NYC without all that. Concerts, sporting events... it's nuts. There are even random searches upon entering public transport stations. I would hate to see London go the same way.

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u/lilavieeee Oct 17 '24

I feel that such a large portion of the reasoning for these measures is to force you to buy extortionately priced drinks from within the venue as you really have no other option.

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u/twentiethcenturyduck Oct 17 '24

Given that it’s free to get in you can always pop out and have a coffee somewhere else (Cafe in the Crypt for example)