British Museum ball disrupted by climate protestor demanding end to BP sponsorship

"More than 800 guests attended the £2000-per-ticket event, including the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the artists Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin, who is a trustee of the museum. Ticket sales for the event raised around £1.6m for the museum's international partnerships, though the final total raised from donations and a silent auction is expected to be much higher."

"In a video posted to Instagram by the group campaign group Energy Embargo for Palestine she can be seen on stage next to Osborne, holding a sign which reads: "DROP BP NOW". The protestor said: "The British Museum's £50m sponsorship with BP provides cultural cover for a company that is causing climate collapse... If the British Museum truly wants to confront its cultural legacy, it [should] look at the way it is actively upholding imperialism today.""

The British Museum Pink Ball gala was disrupted when a climate protestor took the stage during a speech by the museum's chair of trustees, George Osborne. More than 800 guests attended the £2000-per-ticket event, including former prime minister Rishi Sunak, London mayor Sadiq Khan and artists Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin. Ticket sales raised around £1.6m for the museum's international partnerships, with donations and a silent auction expected to add more. The protestor, reportedly a waitress at the ball, held a "DROP BP NOW" sign and said the museum's £50m BP sponsorship provides cultural cover for climate-damaging activity and upholds imperialism. The protestor also criticised funds from the Ambani family and Reliance. Energy Embargo for Palestine demanded an ethics committee of trustees, directorate members and union representatives to oversee future funding and partnerships. Singer M.I.A shared a clip of performing her 2008 hit "Paper Planes" at the ball.

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