- Climate activists cause commotion at the Louvre Museum by throwing soup at the glass protecting the “Mona Lisa,” advocating for sustainable food systems.
- The incident is linked to ongoing farmer protests in France, demanding better compensation and protection against cheap imports.
- This is not the first time artworks have been targeted by activists, with similar incidents occurring in London, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Additional Coverage:
Two climate activists caused a commotion at the Louvre Museum in Paris when they threw soup at the glass protecting the “Mona Lisa.” The incident was captured on video and shared on social media. The activists, wearing shirts that read “FOOD RIPOSTE,” breached a security barrier to approach the painting and shouted slogans in favor of a sustainable food system. They questioned whether art or the right to a healthy and sustainable food was more important and criticized the farming system and the plight of farmers. Following the incident, Louvre employees placed black panels in front of the painting and asked visitors to leave the room. Two people were later arrested by Paris police.
The Food Riposte group, on its website, accused the French government of not fulfilling its climate commitments and called for a state-sponsored health care-like system to improve access to healthy food for people while ensuring fair income for farmers. The incident occurred amidst ongoing farmer protests in France, where farmers have been using their tractors to create road blockades and disrupt traffic to demand better compensation, reduced bureaucracy, and protection against cheap imports. They have also staged protests by dumping agricultural waste at government offices.
This is not the first time the “Mona Lisa” has been targeted by activists. In 2022, someone disguised as an elderly woman in a wheelchair smeared cream cake on the painting. Another incident occurred in the same year when two activists threw mashed potatoes at Claude Monet’s “Les Meules” painting and glued themselves underneath it at the Museum Barberini in Germany. However, no damage was done to the artwork in any of these incidents.
In London’s National Gallery, environmental protesters threw tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting in 2022. Fortunately, the painting was protected by glass and remained undamaged. Similarly, a climate activist attempted to glue their head to the iconic “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting at the Mauritshuis museum in the Netherlands in October 2022.
Climate activists also made headlines when they turned the water of Rome’s Trevi Fountain black in protest against the fossil fuel industry. The activists poured “vegetable charcoal” into the fountain to call for an end to fossil fuel subsidies.
These incidents highlight the growing activism surrounding climate and environmental issues, with activists using artistic landmarks to draw attention to their cause.