Madison Meeks

Editor-in-chief

mvm7037@psu.edu

PARIS,FRANCE – On Sunday, January 24, climate protestors attacked the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting called the ‘Mona Lisa’. The Louvre Museum reported that the incident took place about 10 a.m. on January 24. The room that housed the painting was reopened at 11:30 a.m.

A video that was published on Sunday by the BBC showed two women who had gotten in front of the crowd that was looking at the famous painting. Once they got to the front of the crowd, they dove under the protective rope and threw pumpkin soup at the painting.

The women had been shown wearing shirts that said “food counterattack.” An activist group called “Riposte Alimentaire” had taken responsibility for the attack. These activists are known for being a food sustainability group. People Magazine stated that the group’s name translates to “Food Response. They took responsibility for the attack on the social media platform X, as stated by People Magazine. The group had stated that they wanted to raise awareness about hunger in France and how the food that is being produced is unsustainable.

The BBC stated that the women stood in front of the “Mona Lisa” and stated, “What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food? Your agricultural system is sick. Our farmers are dying at  work.” The BBC was able to translate what the women had said since they had said it in French. According to People Magazine, when they spoke, the security guards were able to put black screens up to block the women from the view of other patrons. The rest of the patrons were then escorted away from the area. The person was taken out of the exhibit and escorted to police by security. 

The museum reopened the area at 11:30 a.m., and the painting was not damaged due to the glass screen protecting it.