Environmental activists targeted the iconic Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, throwing soup at the glass-protected painting to advocate for the right to “healthy and sustainable food.”
The protest, orchestrated by a group named Riposte Alimentaire (Food Counterattack), featured two female demonstrators who threw liquid on the 16th Century artwork, asserting that the current agricultural system is problematic.
Wearing shirts with the message “food counterattack,” the protesters questioned the priorities, asking whether art or the right to healthy food is more important.
The Louvre confirmed that the painting, behind protective glass, remained undamaged.
The demonstrators called for integrating food into the social security system and advocated for a monthly €150 (£128) food card for citizens.
The Louvre evacuated the room and placed black screens in front of the protesters. Riposte Alimentaire claimed responsibility for the stunt, emphasizing the need to address the flaws in the current food model, which it believes marginalizes the most vulnerable.
The group’s statement called for fundamental rights to food and criticized the treatment of farmers.
The museum, describing Riposte Alimentaire as an environmental movement, stated that the Mona Lisa was splashed with pumpkin soup around 10:00 local time and that cleaning was conducted before reopening the Salle des Etats to visitors by 11:30.
France’s Minister for Culture, Rachida Dati, condemned the act, stating that “no cause” justifies targeting the Mona Lisa, emphasizing its significance as part of the country’s heritage.
The Louvre announced its intention to file a complaint.
This incident follows recent farmer protests in Paris against rising fuel costs and regulatory complexities. The Mona Lisa has been protected by safety glass since the 1950s after an acid attack, and in 2019, the museum installed a more transparent form of bulletproof glass.
The painting has been the subject of various acts of vandalism, with the latest being a cake thrown at it in 2022.
Source-BBC
