Climate activists throw soup at da Vinci's Mona Lisa

Climate activists threw soup at Leonardo da Vinci's iconic "Mona Lisa" in the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday, amid ongoing protests by farmers. 

The environmental activist group, "Riposte Alimentaire," French for "Food Response," claimed responsibility for the incident and said it was done as part of a demand for "the integration of food into the general social security system."

A video shows two women throwing orange soup from their water bottles onto the priceless painting, which is covered with glass, before they cross under a security barrier to get closer to the masterpiece.

"What’s the most important thing? Art, or right to a healthy and sustainable food?" the demonstrators shouted in French, according to The Associated Press. "Our farming system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work."

Louvre employees can be seen in the video placing black panels in front of the exhibit and asking visitors to evacuate the area.

The demonstration comes as French farmers have been protesting in Paris recently as they demand less red tape and an end to rising fuel prices, according to the BBC. 

Riposte Alimentaire said it is calling for citizens to receive food cards every month worth €150, or more than $160. 

While the group said its protest was in support of farmers, it also said on X, formerly Twitter: "Agriculture is responsible for 21% of national greenhouse gas emissions and contributes greatly to the deterioration of our biodiversity and the impoverishment of soils, due to the massive use of inputs."

The Louvre said the painting was not damaged after its glass casing was hit with pumpkin soup around 10 a.m. local time.

The exhibit was cleaned and reopened to visitors at 11:30 a.m.

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