On January 28, 2024, the iconic Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris faced an unusual form of protest when two women associated with the climate activist group Riposte Alimentaire (translated as “food counterattack”) threw pumpkin soup at the painting.
The protestors, affiliated with a group advocating for climate change awareness and sustainable agriculture, declared their act of vandalism as the initiation of “civil resistance” to address issues related to the “social security of sustainable food.” They emphasized concerns about the agricultural system’s impact, stating that farmers are facing adverse conditions, and they posed a question to the crowd about the importance of art versus the right to healthy and sustainable food.
The soup-throwing incident occurred amid ongoing farmer protests in France, where farmers were blocking major roads in and out of Paris to demand better pay, lower fuel costs, and improved regulations.
Despite the act of vandalism, the Mona Lisa remained undamaged. The painting has been protected behind a glass wall since the early 1950s, following previous incidents of vandalism. In 2005, the glass was reinforced to be bulletproof. Prior to the soup incident, the Mona Lisa experienced a custard pie thrown at it by an activist in 2022, who criticized artists for not considering environmental concerns. The reinforced glass has effectively safeguarded the artwork from such acts.