Climate activists get a month in prison for Vermeer protest

Visitors take pictures of Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring (Peter Dejong/AP/PA)

Two Belgian activists who targeted Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring painting in a climate protest last week were sentenced on Wednesday to two months in prison, with prosecutors saying their action “crossed a line” of acceptable protest.

Half of the sentence was suspended by a judge in The Hague, meaning the men will serve one month. A third suspect is due in court on Friday. Their identities were not released, in line with Dutch privacy rules.