TWO climate activists hurled soup at the glass protecting the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris today, shouting slogans in favour of a sustainable food system. 

Their action came as French farmers continued protests over several issues, including low wages.

In a video posted on social media, two women with the words “Food Riposte” written on their T-shirts could be seen passing under a security barrier to approach the painting, then throwing soup at the glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece.

“What's the most important thing?” they shouted. “Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food?”

“Our farming system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work,” they added.

Louvre employees could then be seen putting black panels in front of the Mona Lisa and asking visitors to evacuate the room.

On its website, the Food Riposte group accused the French government of breaking its climate commitments and called for the creation of a service along the lines of the country’s state healthcare system to give people better access to healthy food and provide farmers a decent income.

In recent days, angry French farmers have been using their tractors to block roads and slow traffic across France as they press their demands for better prices for their produce, less regulation and protection against cheap imports.