Climate activists threw soup at a painting of the Mona Lisa in Paris's Louvre museum on Sunday, January 28. Videos posted on social media show two women, wearing T-shirts with the words “FOOD RIPOSTE,” throwing soup at the glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece and passing under a security barrier to get closer to the painting.
They also raised slogans, shouting, “What’s the most important thing? Art, or the right to healthy and sustainable food?” They continued, "Our farming system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work," while throwing soup on the painting.
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Louvre officials were later seen putting black panels in front of the Mona Lisa and asking visitors to evacuate the room. Angry French farmers have been using their tractors for days to set up road blockades and slow traffic across France, seeking better remuneration for their produce, less red tape, and protection against cheap imports.