Greenpeace activists were photographed stealing a wax statue of French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in an act of protest against the country’s business ties with Russia.
The environmental group said its members “borrowed the statue of Emmanuel Macron from the Grévin Museum” on Monday, “believing that he does not deserve to be exhibited in this world-renowned cultural establishment until he has terminated French contracts with Russia and initiated an ambitious and lasting ecological transition on a European scale.”
“Later in the day, they went to the Russian embassy in Paris, in front of the statue of Emmanuel Macron, to unfurl a banner denouncing current dealings with Russia,” the group added.
Images showed two men hauling the wax figure of Macron through the streets of the French capital.
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“There was no confrontation with museum security because we had planned everything carefully to ensure it happened quickly,” a Greenpeace spokesperson told Reuters, noting that the activists entered the property as regular visitors before heading to the room where the Macron statue was located.
The news agency added that other activists were waiting in a getaway car outside the museum and that the group plans to return the statue at an unknown date.
On its website, the Grévin Museum said its statue of Macron is one of more than 200 celebrities on display who are “immortalized in wax.”
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“Discover the wax figures of some of the most important world leaders at the Grévin Museum!” it adds.
Photos previously taken at the museum showed the Macron statue standing next to one of former President Joe Biden.
“We do not deny the political, diplomatic, and financial support of France and Europe for Ukraine,” Greenpeace France director Jean-Francois Julliard said to Reuters.
“But if we want to be coherent and consistent, we cannot, on the one hand, support Ukraine and, on the other, continue to import such massive amounts of gas, chemical fertilizers, and uranium.”
