A 36-year-old man dressed as an old lady was arrested on Sunday after reportedly trying to break the glass protecting the famous Mona Lisa painting before throwing a cake on its surface in an apparent climate-related protest.
According to multiple reports, the climate activist disguised as an old lady with a wig. He got up from a wheelchair to hit the bulletproof glass before throwing a cake at Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece at the Louvre museum. The famous painting was unharmed thanks to its bulletproof glass case.
He was then arrested for an “attempt to damage cultural property” and was placed in the psychiatric infirmary of the police headquarters on Sunday, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
A Twitter user shared a video of the incident after the suspect threw a cake on the Mona Lisa that took place early afternoon on Sunday.
The same user posted another video showing the suspect standing next to his wheelchair and escorted by security.
“There are people who are destroying the Earth (…) All artists, think of the Earth. That’s why I did this. Think about the planet,” said the man in French.