Two French activists threw soup at the Louvre Museum’s ‘Mona Lisa’ painting in Paris on Sunday (January 28), amid ongoing protests in other parts of the country led by farmers. The painting did not sustain damage as it was protected by a glass cover.
In a video of the incident, protestors were seen shouting in French, “What’s the most important thing? Art, or right to healthy and sustainable food? Our farming system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work.” They said the act was aimed at raising awareness over ongoing issues in the country related to the agriculture sector and the environment.
What explains the move, and why are farmers protesting? How has the French government responded? We explain.
Why was soup thrown at the Mona Lisa?
The two women were seen wearing shirts with the words “Riposte Alimentaire” written on them. A report in The Guardian said that RA is part of the “A22 umbrella movement of protest groups in 12 countries”. This movement also includes other activist groups, such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion. In a statement sent to news agency AFP, it said the soup throwing marked the “start of a campaign of civil resistance with the clear demand… of the social security of sustainable food”.
As part of generating awareness around issues of climate change, such as the need to move away from oil as a source of fuel due to its environmental impact, similar tactics have been employed lately. In 2022, Just Stop Oil activists threw soup on Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ painting at the National Gallery in London.
The Just Stop Oil movement has also protested against the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, which they say is because of inflation driven by high fuel prices. Costs of everyday items have indeed risen, partly due to the Ukraine conflict and the decision of many Western governments, including the UK, to move away from Russia as a source of fuel supply.
Why are farmers protesting in France?
An AP report explained that “Angry French farmers have been using their tractors for days to set up road blockades and slow traffic across France to seek better remuneration for their produce, less red tape and protection against cheap imports.”
Some protests began as early as January 18, with parts of a highway being blocked. Around two to three per cent of the French population is employed in agriculture, according to World Bank data from 2021. But France is the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer.
In recent years, farmers say that policies meant to target climate change have been harmful to their commercial interests. France 24 reported that this includes the government’s move to increase taxes on agricultural diesel, which “has long benefited from government tax breaks”.
Another way in which the Ukraine-Russia war has affected the situation is the waivers that the EU awarded to Ukraine for exporting its products to Europe. Reuters reported that “renewed negotiations to conclude a trade deal between the EU and South American bloc Mercosur, have fanned discontent about unfair competition in sugar, grain and meat.”
What has the French government said?
The government has offered to ease “certain technical procedures and the progressive end to diesel fuel taxes for farm vehicles”, AP reported.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, while visiting a farm recently, acknowledged that the farmers are in a difficult position because “on the one side we say ‘we need quality’ and on the other side ’we want ever-lower prices’.” “What’s at stake is finding solutions in the short, middle and long term,” he said, “ because we need our farmers.”
Attal also said his government is considering “additional” measures against what he called “unfair competition” from other countries that have different production rules and are importing food to France. However, on Saturday, Le Monde reported leaders of two of France’s largest farming unions as saying that members from the regions around Paris “will begin an indefinite siege of the capital.”
Is this related to other recent protests in Europe?
Some issues – such as environmental taxes and fuel issues – are common to other farmers protesting in Germany, Romania and a few other countries, of late. Apart from the country-specific issues, there seems to be a common issue with the EU’s policies.
On left, an activist gestures after throwing soup at the glass protecting the Mona Lisa, at the Louvre Museum, in Paris, Sunday. On right, French farmers use their tractors during a go-slow operation near Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle airport as they protest. (AP/ REUTERS, Benoit Tessier) 
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