PARIS (AP) — The French interior ministry has ordered a significant deployment of security forces around Paris as enraged farmers threaten to head toward the capital, following climate activists hurling soup at the glass protecting the “Mona Lisa” painting at the Louvre Museum. The farmers are pressuring the government to address their demands for fair compensation for their produce, reduced bureaucracy, and protection against inexpensive imports. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the deployment of 15,000 police officers, mainly in the Paris region.
He instructed security forces to prevent any blockade of Rungis International Market, the Paris airports, and any convoy of farmers from entering the capital and any other major city. Helicopters will monitor tractor convoys, and possibly, all eight highways leading to Paris will be blocked on Monday from midday onwards.
He urged car and truck drivers to anticipate blockades, warning of significant disruptions. Farmers from the Rural Coordination union in the Lot-et-Garonne region, where the protests originated, plan to use their tractors on Monday to head toward the Rungis International Market.
France’s two largest farmers unions announced that their members surrounding the Paris region would seek to block all major roads to the capital, aiming to put the city “under siege,” starting Monday afternoon.
In a video posted on social media, two women with the words “FOOD RIPOSTE” on their T-shirts were seen passing under a security barrier, getting closer to the painting, and throwing soup at the glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. They shouted slogans advocating for a sustainable food system and expressed concerns about the farming system and the well-being of farmers.
Following the incident, Louvre employees put black panels in front of the Mona Lisa and asked visitors to leave the room. Paris police reported that two people were arrested in connection with the incident.
The “Food Riposte” group stated on its website that the French government is failing to meet its climate commitments and urged the establishment of a national health care system equivalent to provide better access to healthy food while ensuring farmers receive a decent income.
The angry French farmers have been using their tractors to set up road blockades and slow traffic across France, as well as dumping agricultural waste at government offices. The government announced several measures on Friday, including simplifying technical procedures and gradually ending diesel fuel taxes for farm vehicles. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal visited a farm in the central region of Indre-et-Loire, acknowledging the farmers’ difficulties in balancing quality and lower prices demands. He promised additional measures to address farmers’ concerns and to counter unfair competition from countries with different production rules importing food to France.
