Radical climate change activists hurled soup at the Mona Lisa painting inside the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday.
Video shows the moment that two women approach the Mona Lisa painting and then douse Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece with soup.
The women reportedly shouted, “What’s the most important thing? Art, or right to a healthy and sustainable food?”
Louvre employees were seen on video placing black panels in front of the Italian Renaissance masterpiece and asking visitors to evacuate the room.
No damage was done to the classic piece of art since it rests behind bulletproof glass.
“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 a.m. (4 a.m. ET),” the Louvre Museum said in a statement. “The Louvre’s security staff immediately intervened.”
Paris police said two individuals were arrested following the incident.
The radical environmental group Riposte Alimentaire – which roughly translates to “Food Response” – took credit for the soup attack on the Mona Lisa painting and demanded “the integration of food into the general social security system.”
The climate change group said on the X social media platform, “Our agricultural and food system also has extremely worrying environmental consequences.”
“This violence weighing on our food and on those who allow it has clear causes: the agri-food industry increased its margins to 48% last year, and its excessive profits are estimated to be responsible for two-thirds of inflation,” the ecological group claimed. “Agriculture is responsible for 21% of national greenhouse gas emissions and contributes greatly to the deterioration of our biodiversity and the impoverishment of soils, due to the massive use of inputs.”
The group identified the women as 24-year-old Sasha and 63-year-old Marie-Juliette.
The Mona Lisa is arguably one of the most famous and iconic paintings in the world – drawing millions of visitors every year. Leonardo da Vinci created the artwork between 1503 and 1506.
Numerous online commentators were outraged at the attempted vandalism of the iconic painting and called on authorities to throw the book at the radical climate change activists.
The Libs of TikTok account: “Climate activists threw soup at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum today. Employees responded by holding up curtains to block visitors from seeing. These climate t*rr*rists need to be arrested and given long prison sentences. This needs to stop.”
Journalist Tom Fitton: “Left-wing terrorists (or, as media calls them, “climate activists”) attack the “Mona Lisa.” Another reminder the Left are enemies of history, memory, and beauty.
Women’s sports activist Riley Gaines: “Ah, yes. Defacing the Mona Lisa with soup will immediately make everyone stop burning & developing fossil fuels. Great idea Lock them up.”
The Culture Critic account: “Soup being thrown at the Mona Lisa by climate zealots. Security just sits idly and watches. Once again, the sad truth is that this is being ALLOWED to happen by the gallery. This has happened enough times now for there to be a rapid response protocol – yet nothing ever stops them. These institutions are no longer fit to be custodians of these masterpieces.”
Journalist Rita Panahi: “How are these climate cultists getting so close to masterpieces armed with paint, soup, hammers, etc? This time they’ve attacked the Mona Lisa. Jail.”
Writer Andrew Doyle: “Environmental activists at the Louvre have sprayed the Mona Lisa with soup. It’s no coincidence that those who are disgusted by humanity wish to desecrate its greatest achievements.”
The @Amuse account: “Destroying the Mona Lisa will have no impact on the global average temperature.”
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