In a daring act of protest, demonstrators splattered soup over a Monet artwork within a museum located in southeast France last Saturday. This event marks the latest in a series of protests by an activist group known for a similar incident involving the Mona Lisa the previous month. The incident unfolded at the Musee des Beaux-Arts, situated in France's third-largest city, targeting Claude Monet's "Le Printemps" (Spring) around 3:30 pm local time.
Despite the 1872 masterpiece being protected by a glass barrier, it is slated for a detailed examination and necessary restoration, as announced by the museum authorities. In response to the vandalism, the museum plans to pursue legal action, noting that two demonstrators have been detained.
The group Riposte Alimentaire ("Food Counterattack") claimed responsibility for this act on the social platform X. Ilona, a 20-year-old activist, expressed the urgency of their actions, stating, "we have to act now before it is too late." This group, which champions the cause of ensuring a sustainable and healthy food supply for all, also acknowledged orchestrating the January soup assault on the Mona Lisa at Paris' Louvre Museum, which similarly was protected by glass.
Following the attack on Leonardo da Vinci's renowned piece, the perpetrators were ordered by a Parisian court to engage in community service with a charitable organization. Riposte Alimentaire positions itself as a "French civil resistance movement" dedicated to prompting drastic changes for the betterment of the environment and society. Despite their actions, the group professes a love for art, emphasizing the dire future for artists on a planet ravaged by climate change.
Reacting to the event, Lyon's ecological party mayor expressed regret over the protest on X, acknowledging the valid concerns over climate crises and advocating for decisive measures in response.
Jean Dubreil