Visitors at Louvre look on in shock as Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece attacked by environmental protesters

Two environmental protesters have hurled soup on to the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, calling for “healthy and sustainable food”. The painting, which was behind bulletproof glass, appeared to be undamaged.

Gallery visitors looked on in shock as two women threw the yellow-coloured soup before climbing under the barrier in front of the work and flanking the splattered painting, their right hands held up in a salute-like gesture.

One of the two activists removed her jacket to reveal a white T-shirt bearing the slogan of the environmental activist group Riposte Alimentaire (Food Response) in black letters.

  • Grimy@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    There hasn’t really been many instance of art getting destroyed. This is legitimate imo, it gets in the news and no real damage is done. Personally, I think it’s not far enough.

    If oil companies get their way, whole countries are going to be destroyed, not just paintings.

    It’s also plain to see that any form of protest against oil companies is quickly villainized by the media. There’s an agenda at play when you can’t march, stand in traffic or just throw soup at glass.

      • Cogency@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        To think sustainability in agriculture is not about climate change is rather a narrow definition of climate change.

        • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          They were supposedly upset about food security. Yeah this right here is a great example of why these performative protests don’t work. No one can even agree why they did it.

          • Cogency@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            Performative protests are a warning that things aren’t right. And French history has shown a penchant for heavy sharp falling objects to the back of the neck as the next alternative.

              • Cogency@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                That’s the thing about a threat, it doesn’t have to lead to violence, but it is the performative act of violence. And the commitment to do violence or at least suffer the consequences, in this case arrest. That’s what this was. You can understand it or not.

                  • Cogency@lemmy.world
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                    9 months ago

                    That’s why it was largely performative, to avoid the label of terrorism, but yes. A revolutionary threat might also be a label one could use, depending on how you want to look at it.

    • TheSanSabaSongbird@lemdro.id
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      9 months ago

      Blocking traffic is pretty shitty though because you’re hurting working people as opposed to the people who have real power and status in society. These are people who depend on hourly wages and often have multiple jobs together with childcare scheduling commitments and the like.