Protesters throw soup at Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ painting
Footage has emerged of protesters throwing soup at Leonardo da Vinci‘s glass-protected Mona Lisa painting in Paris.
Held in the Louvre behind bullet-proof glass, the 16th-century painting is one of the world’s most famous. As such, it’s well protected and unlikely to have been damaged.
In clips circulating online, two female protesters clad in shirts that read: “Riposte Alimentaire” (“Food response”) hurled soup at the glass-covered painting while saying the agricultural system was “sick”. Security at the museums then covered them with black screens and evacuated the room.
It’s thought to be connected to the recent protests by farmers in France, which saw them rally against rising fuel costs by blocking roads in and out of the capital.
The attack on paintings is a symbolic gesture that’s been seized on by climate activists like Extinction Rebellion before. It has proved divisive form of protest.
Case in point, Pier Morgan has responded to the clips by calling the protesters “morons” on Twitter, whereas others have praised their “radical” actions, particularly given that the painting wasn’t damaged but their point has been made.
It’s not the first time da Vinci’s masterpiece has been attacked by food. In 2022, another activist smeared cake on it and urged onlookers to “think of the Earth”.
