Protesters have thrown soup at the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre in Paris.

Footage shows two women crossing a boundary between the painting and the public, with one of them throwing soup towards the famous painting.

Both women are wearing a shirt with Riposte Alimentaire – which translates as food response – written on the front, referring to a climate activist group.

Museum staff are then seen rushing to the painting with black screens in a bid to block the public’s view, while local media reports the room was evacuated.

The group claims two people – aged 24 and 63 – involved with their “new campaign” were behind the incident to “demand the establishment of sustainable food social security”.

A glass window protects the Mona Lisa, meaning the soup would not have covered the painting itself.

The world’s most famous artwork has been targeted before.

In May 2022, cake was smeared on the covering, with bystanders claiming a “man dressed as an old lady” jumped out of a wheelchair before trying to smash the protective glass.

The gallery explained the culprit had managed to get close to the portrait by “simulating a disability”, allowing them to take advantage of a policy designed to help people with mobility problems see the major works in its collection clearly.

One man was seen saying “think of the planet” after the incident.

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