Protesters fuel debate over BP arts funding

Activists angry at the sponsorship of art institutions by BP staged a protest today at Tate Britain to mark the anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Campaigners from Liberate Tate poured an oil-like substance over a naked member of the group in the art gallery. It is the latest in a series of protests over the past week, and comes as 166 people from the arts world wrote a letter to the Guardian today urging the Tate to end its sponsorship relationship with BP.

The protesters are concerned about BP's investment in tar sands oil extraction in Canada, its efforts to drill in the Arctic, the damage to the Gulf of Mexico and the impact on climate change, as well as human rights controversies.

A Tate spokesman said BP's support was "extremely important" and that the company complied with their ethics policy.