A man disguised as an elderly woman in a wheelchair threw a piece of cake at the glass protecting the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum and shouted at people to think of planet Earth.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday a 36-year-old man was seen wearing a wig and lipstick, and urged people to “think of the Earth” and was later detained and sent to a police psychiatric unit.
An investigation has opened leading to the damage of cultural artefacts. In its history, the painting was stolen in 1911 by a museum employee. It was also damaged in an acid attack in 1950, and since has been kept behind glass which eventually increased the painting’s international fame.
Speaking about the incident Louvre visitor Luke Sundberg, saw it unfold. “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,”
“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,” he added.
