Activists may escape prosecution over Mona Lisa pumpkin soup attack

Two protesters who were arrested after hurling soup at Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting in Paris may escape prosecution and instead be ordered to make a donation, prosecutors said on Monday.

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The two women on Sunday flung pumpkin soup at the bullet-proof glass protecting da Vinci’s most famous painting at the Louvre art museum, demanding the right to “healthy and sustainable food.”

A group called Riposte Alimentaire (“Food counterattack”) claimed responsibility for the stunt.

The two activists were arrested and temporarily placed in police custody.

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The public prosecutor’s office said that the activists were accused of illegally entering the secure area around the painting, an offence carrying a maximum fine of €1 500.

The two activists were to be brought before prosecutors on Monday afternoon with a view to making a “citizen’s contribution” rather than facing a trial, the public prosecutor’s office said.

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Under the French system, making such a donation to a victim’s association is an alternative to prosecution. The amount is determined by prosecutors up to a maximum of €3 000.

The Louvre museum said the painting had not suffered any damage, adding that the women had hidden the pumpkin soup in a thermos flask.

The painting, which has been kept behind bulletproof glass since 2005, has been repeatedly attacked. In 2022, the masterpiece was targeted with a cream pie.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse

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