Activists throw soup at Mona Lisa in Paris
January 28, 2024
Protesters threw soup at the glass-protected "Mona Lisa" in the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday.
In a video of the stunt, two women can be seen splashing orange-colored soup on the artwork while one of them shouts: "What's more important — art or the right to healthy, sustainable food? Our agricultural system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work."
A spokesperson from the Louvre confirmed to DW that the painting, which is encased in bullet-proof glass, had not been damaged.
They added that the room housing the "Mona Lisa" had been reopened and everything at the museum had returned to normal.
The activists were from the French organization "Riposte Alimentaire" (Food Response), which issued a statement saying the protest aimed to highlight the need to protect the environment and sources of food.
The group called for a system to be put in place that gives people better access to healthy food while providing farmers with a decent income.
It comes as French farmers stage protests demanding better pay, simplified regulations, and protection against cheap imports. For days, angry farmers have been blocking roads with their tractors across the country, and some have pledged to converge on Paris on Monday.
New Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promised "decisions" would be made in the coming weeks to address farmers' concerns.
Famous paintings in the crosshairs
It's not the first time Leonardo da Vinci's 16th-century masterpiece has been targeted.
In May 2022, an activist threw cake at the painting.
Climate activists seeking to pressure governments to do more to tackle global warming and phase out fossil fuels have staged similar protests in other European capital cities, including Rome, London and Vienna.
In October 2022, activists threw soup at Vincent Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" at London's National Gallery. One month later, campaigners glued themselves to Goya paintings in Madrid's Prado museum.
nm/sms (AFP, EFE, Reuters, AP)