Lyon. Throwing soup on a painting by Monet: environmental activists sentenced

Two activists from the environmental collective Food responsewho had doused a Monet painting with soup in February 2024 to warn of global warming, were convicted on appeal in Lyon for “slight damage”.

In the first instance, the two young women, prosecuted for having “voluntarily defaced Claude Monet’s painting Spring” Museum of Fine Arts of Lyonhad been released, on the grounds that the canvas, under glass, had not suffered any damage. A decision which the prosecution appealed.

“Less serious offense”

The court of appeal declared them guilty after having reclassified the facts as a “less serious offense”, and sentenced them to a fine of 300 euros, suspended for one of them, said the lawyer of defense Adeline Dubost.

They were acquitted of the offense of refusing to submit to DNA sampling.

A gesture “of a political nature”

Tuesday's decision “questions in relation to decisions of other jurisdictions on the use of freedom of expression and its limits”, reacted Me Dubost, who argues the “political” nature of a gesture which therefore concerns of freedom of expression.

Food Response, which presents itself as a “French civil resistance campaign”, campaigns for the establishment of a system similar to social security which would allow everyone to access sustainable food.

The environmental movement demanded similar action against the Mona Lisa a year ago.

AFP

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