The Mona Lisa painting in Paris, France was spared from the protesters' hurled soup on Sunday, January 28, thanks to its glass case.
The environmental organization Riposte Alimentaire, whose name means "Food Response" in English, claimed two of their activists were responsible for the incident. Reportedly, they were arrested thereafter.
This image grab taken from AFPTV footage shows two environmental activists from the collective dubbed "Riposte Alimentaire" (Food Retaliation) gesturing as they stand in front of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" (La Joconde) painting after hurling soup at the artwork, at the Louvre museum in Paris, on January 28, 2024.
Advocating for Farmers
A video of the event captures the protesters hurling orange soup from bottles before they go behind a barrier to speak to the bystanders. "What is more important: art or the right to a healthy and sustainable diet?" one shouted, according to CNN.
Afterward, Louvre museum employees can be seen transferring black screens between the demonstrators and visitors.
A statement from the museum described what happened. "Two activists from the environmental movement 'Riposte Alimentaire' sprayed pumpkin soup on the armored glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10 am (4 am ET). The Louvre's security staff immediately intervened."
According to the museum, it had lodged a formal complaint.
Riposte Alimentaire issued a series of social media postings on the incident, stating its intention to highlight the issue of France's hunger and unsustainable food production. The group urged "the integration of food into the general social security system."
Riposte Alimentaire is associated with the A22 Network, a group of activist organizations known for disruptive climate demonstrations, as stated on their website. This network includes Just Stop Oil, which in 2022 planned the same attack on a painting by Vincent van Gogh called Sunflowers in London.
This occurrence takes place when French farmers stage large-scale protests about wages, market share, and government oversight.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati denounced the Louvre protest in a post on social media. "The Mona Lisa, like our heritage, belongs to future generations. No cause can justify it being targeted," she wrote on X.
In her remarks, Dati, who was named Culture Minister by France's new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal earlier this month, extended his support to the personnel of the Louvre Museum.
See Also: France: Farmers Threaten 'Quasi-Military Siege' of Paris, Major Cities as Protests Continue
Damage Attempts
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, perhaps the most renowned artwork in the world, sits at the Louvre Museum. Every year, millions of tourists wait in line to see the piece of art, which is just over 2.5 feet in height and slightly less than 2 feet in width, and to take pictures or pose with it.
The mysterious painting has a complicated past, having been vandalized and stolen many times since its creation in the early 1600s.
The theft of the artwork by an employee of the Louvre in 1911 brought it widespread attention. Moreover, an acid attack on the canvas base in the 1950s prompted the museum to install bulletproof glass and other security measures to safeguard the painting.
See Also: Paris Police Hold Another Protest Calling for Better Pay During Olympics Duties
