‘What’s more important, art or sustainable food?’ say climate activists as they throw soup on Mona Lisa

In yet another attack by environmental protesters on famous art pieces, two female activists threw soup on Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century painting, Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa held at the Louvre in Paris, was behind protective glass and hence not damaged. Mona Lisa, arguably the world’s most famous painting, was put behind protective glass in the 1950s after a visitor threw acid on it. 

A video that captured the incident, shows two female protesters wearing T-shirts that read “food counterattack” and throwing soup on the painting. They can then be seen standing in front of the painting, saying, “What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food? Your agricultural system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work."

Following the stunt, the museum security put black screens in front of them and the room was then evacuated, according to BBC. The group Riposte Alimentaire (Food Counterattack) claimed responsibility for the stunt. 

The Louvre confirmed that the members of Riposte Alimentaire sprayed pumpkin soup on the painting at around 10:00 local time. Salle des Etats, where the Mona Lisa is displayed, was evacuated and reopened to visitors at 11:30 after cleaning. It said that the museum will file a complaint.

Riposte Alimentaire said on X that the protest was part of the efforts to integrate "food into the general social security system". The current model stigmatises the most precarious and does not respect the fundamental right to food, it said. The group demanded a food card worth €150 (£128) to be given to citizens.

The Louvre installed bulletproof glass to protect the painting in 2019. In 2022, an activist threw a cake at the painting and urged people to “think of the Earth”. 

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