Protestors Throw Soup at Mona Lisa Painting in Louvre Museum

Esme Mazzeo
·2 min read
2

Two women threw pumpkin soup at the 'Mona Lisa' on Sunday at about 10 a.m., the Louvre confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE

<p>DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty </p> Protesters throw soup at the "Mona Lisa"

DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty

Protesters throw soup at the "Mona Lisa"

• The "Mona Lisa," the famous Leonardo da Vinci panting, was not damaged during the incident because of its protective glass case

• A food sustainability activist group called "Riposte Alimentaire" took responsibility for the Sunday incident

• In a statement to PEOPLE, the Louvre said the incident took place at about 10 a.m. and that the room housing the "Mona Lisa" was reopened at about 11:30 a.m.

Climate protesters at the Louvre in Paris hurled pumpkin soup at the "Mona Lisa" on Sunday, but the painting wasn't damaged because it was protected by its glass case, the museum said in a statement to PEOPLE.

As seen on a video published by the BBC on Sunday, two women got in front of the crowd looking at the famous Leonardo da Vinci panting and threw soup at it.

The women then ducked under protective ropes in front of the painting and revealed t-shirts that read "food counterattack," per the BBC.

According to the news site, they then stood in front of the 16th-century painting and said in French, "What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food? Your agricultural system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work."

<p>DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty </p>

DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty

As they spoke, the security guards at the museum put black screens in front of them to block them from view and escorted other patrons away from the painting.

A food sustainability activist group called "Riposte Alimentaire," which translates to "Food Response," took responsibility for the incident in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).

<p>DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty</p>

DAVID CANTINIAUX/AFPTV/AFP via Getty

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In the posts, the group said it wanted to raise awareness about hunger in France and unsustainable food production, saying it sought “the integration of food into the general social security system," CNN reports.

The Louvre said the incident occurred at about 10 a.m., and the room was reopened to visitors by 11:30 a.m. The museum said it planned to lodge a complaint about the incident.

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Read the original article on People.