Paris, France
In a shocking development, two activists splashed soup on the bullet-proof glass safeguarding Leonardo da Vinci's iconic painting "Mona Lisa" in Paris on Sunday (Jan 28).
The protesters did so demanding the right to "healthy and sustainable food", reported news agency AFP.
The two women, on Sunday morning, hurled the orange and red soup onto the clear casing protecting the famous artwork displayed at the Louvre Museum in France's capital city causing a commotion.
The unprecedented act resulted in gasps from the crowd, who were undoubtedly shocked and surprised by the sudden turn of events.
"What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food," the activists asked, standing in front of the painting and speaking in turn.
"Your agricultural system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work," they said before security staff evacuated the room.
A police source, as per AFP reports, said that both the activists have been detained.
The Louvre Museum released a statement saying that the protesters had hidden the pumpkin soup in a coffee thermos.
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It further added that the iconic artwork remained unharmed and that the room housing the masterpiece had re-opened to the public after being closed for nearly an hour.
Par leur action non violente, Sasha (24ans) et Marie-Juliette (63ans) exigent la mise en place d'une Sécurité Sociale de l'Alimentation Durable. [2]
?https://t.co/FLzMmVW4tW@SocialeAlim #SSAD #Alimentation pic.twitter.com/i4YS6VrrRX
— Riposte Alimentaire (@riposte_alim) January 28, 2024
Riposte Alimentaire claims responsibility
The responsibility for the unexpected act was taken by a group named Riposte Alimentaire ("Food counterattack").
They said that the stunt marked the "start of a campaign of civil resistance with the clear demand... of the social security of sustainable food".
Member of the group, Till Van Elst claimed that they wanted the state to provide people food items at reduced rates through a specialised social security card.
Under the scheme, democratic assemblies would choose the food to be subsidised.
"We want citizens to really be able to... decide what is in their plates," he told AFP.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati denounces act
Dati, denouncing the act, stated, "The Mona Lisa, as our heritage, belongs to future generations. No cause can justify targeting it," she wrote on X.
This also comes amid the ongoing farmer protests in France who have been staging demonstrations demanding better pay, taxes and regulations.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Sunday announced new measures after some farmers threatened to block roads in the capital city on Monday.
It is the latest attack on the masterpiece in the French capital's Louvre museum after someone threw a custard pie at it in May 2022, but its thick glass casing ensured it came to no harm.
(With inputs from agencies)