Climate Activists Throw Soup at Mona Lisa in Louvre Protest

Two French climate activists from the collective "Riposte Alimentaire" (Food Response) threw soup at the bulletproof glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa at the Musée du Louvre in Paris on January 28, 2024. They quickly bypassed barriers and shouted slogans denouncing the agricultural system, including "What is more important?" and "Our agricultural system is sick," before being isolated by security. Museum staff covered the scene with dark panels and evacuated the room. The painting, protected by armored glass for 60 years, was undamaged. This is the latest in a series of attacks on the Mona Lisa, including a 2022 cream pie incident, acid and rock attacks in 1956, paint in 1974, and a mug in 2009. The protest coincides with ongoing French farmer demonstrations over fuel prices, climate change, and agricultural policies, which led to 400 km of highway blockades the previous day. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has allocated €50 million for organic farming and doubled emergency funds for storm damage, while also granting tax exemptions on off-road diesel for farm vehicles. The French government has been harsh on ecological protests, prosecuting Greenpeace members and dissolving the group "Les Soulèvements de la Terre," but has not yet passed strict anti-eco-vandalism laws like Italy's recent decree.