Visitors were left stunned after a man disguised as an elderly woman in a wheelchair threw a cake at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in Paris. Leonardo da Vinci’s painting was fortunately protected by glass, which was left with a smear of white cream after the attack on Sunday.
Witnesses described the moment as ‘jaw-dropping’. The perpetrator called people to “think of the Earth” as he was led from the scene, wearing a wig and lipstick.
A Liverpool FC fan saw the incident take place when he visited the Louvre following his side’s 1-0 defeat in the UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid at the Stade de France. Klevis, who did not wish to share his second name, told the PA news agency: “I had mixed emotions, was feeling sad and disappointed.”
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The 26-year-old from Albania added: “I came to Paris for the match and the second thing I planned to do was to see the Mona Lisa. Some guy dressed as an old woman on a wheelchair attacked it with a cake. What were the odds this would happen?”
Luke Sundberg from Denver, Colorado, witnessed the incident as he was queuing to view the masterpiece. He told PA: “The crowd begin gasping and we looked up and some man in a wheelchair (dressed) as an old lady ran up to the painting and started punching it before smearing cake all over it.”
The 20-year-old said: “It took about 10 to 15 seconds for the security to actually take the man away, but the crowd seemed to panic a little bit. It was jaw-dropping, it was a lot to take in considering how historic Mona Lisa is… the moment was once in a million.”
The activist was also seen throwing roses in the gallery. As he was escorted out by security, he was heard saying: “Think of the Earth. There are people who are destroying the Earth. Think about it. Artists tell you: think of the Earth. That’s why I did this.”
A video from Mr Sundberg showed a crowd near the painting break into applause after the cream was cleaned from the glass. The 16th-century work had the glass installed in the 1950s to protect it after an acid attack.
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