Activist Detained for Climate Protest at Paris' Orsay Museum

An environmental activist was detained after attaching a protest sign to a Monet painting at Paris' Orsay Museum. The activist, part of Food Riposte, aimed to highlight climate change and food supply issues. The incident targeted Monet's 'Poppy Field' to depict a dire future. Police are investigating the case.

An environmental activist was detained Saturday after sticking a protest sign to a Monet painting in Paris' famed Orsay Museum.

The latest in a series of actions by protesters with the group Food Riposte targeted artworks in France to call for action protecting food supplies from climate damage. The museum, known in French as the Musée d'Orsay, is a top tourist destination and home to some of the world's most-loved Impressionist works.

The activist targeted 'Poppy Field' by Claude Monet, affixing a sticker covering about half the painting with an apocalyptic, futuristic vision of the same scene. The group said it illustrates what the field could look like in 2100, “ravaged by flames and drought,” if more action isn't taken against climate change.

Paris police detained the woman pending investigation.

Whether the incident damaged the painting remains unclear; the museum did not respond to requests for comment.