Environmental protestors throw soup at iconic Mona Lisa in Louvre Museum

28 January 2024, 10:14 | Updated: 28 January 2024, 11:07

French environmental activists have been filmed throwing soup on the Mona Lisa painting at the Lovure Museum in Paris.

Two activists threw what appear to be cans of tomato soup at the glass protecting the painting on Sunday morning.

The 16th century painting by Leonardo da Vicini sits behind bulletproof glass.

Footage shared on social media shows the two activists throw the soup from behind the painting’s barrier.

They then climb under the barrier and stand in front of the infamous artwork.

The pair then demand the right to “healthy and sustainable food”, adding “our agricultural system is sick”.

One of the activists takes off her jacket, showing a white T-shirt with the logo ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ written across, which translates to 'food response'.

Security officers then cover the scene with black protective screens.

The group are part of what is described as the A22 network movement - protest groups across 12 countries, including Just Stop Oil.

According to the group, the incident took place at 10am local time on Sunday.

They named the women as Sasha, 24, and Marie-Juliette, 63.

The group said the act was to “demand the establishment of Sustainable Food Social Security”.

It comes after the world-famous painting was attacked in May 2022 when a man smeared cake on the protective glass, as he called on people to "think of the Earth".

The iconic piece was painted by Leonardo da Vinci sometime in the 16th century, between 1503 and 1519, it has an estimated value of $1 billion.

It follows similar acts of protest by the UK group Just Stop Oil.

In November, activists from the group smashed the glass protecting The Rokeby Venus painting by Diego Velazqueza held in the National Gallery.

A video shared online by the climate activist group showed the pair in white Just Stop Oil slogan t-shirts before hitting the glass repeatedly with safety hammers.

While in October, the protestors sprayed the Wellington Arch in central London with orange paint, as they set off flares and splashed orange paint over the Grade I-listed arch on Hyde Park corner.