On Monday, Greenpeace activists executed a bold theft of a wax figure of President Emmanuel Macron from a museum in Paris. They showcased it in front of the Russian embassy to protest against France’s economic affiliations with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
According to sources from the police, three individuals, two women and a man, entered the Grevin Museum pretending to be tourists. Once inside, they changed into worker attire to blend in.
The activists managed to sneak out through an emergency exit with the wax statue, valued at approximately 40,000 euros, which they concealed.
In a statement, the museum noted that the activists indicated they intended to return the statue “in good condition.”
“They had clearly conducted extensive research,” remarked a spokeswoman for the museum in an interview with AFP.
According to the spokeswoman, the activists engaged a security guard with a question about accessibility, while some of them donned maintenance uniforms.
Once they absconded with the Macron figure, they set it up outside the Russian embassy to emphasize their disapproval of France’s ties with Russia, particularly in the sectors of gas, fertilizers, and nuclear energy.
The demonstration outside the embassy lasted for only a few moments.
During the brief protest, the activists displayed a Russian flag behind the Macron statue, while one individual held a yellow sign stating, “Business is business.” They also scattered fake banknotes around.
“For us, France is playing both sides,” stated Jean-Francois Julliard, head of Greenpeace France.
“Emmanuel Macron symbolizes this duplicity: he supports Ukraine while simultaneously urging French companies to maintain their business dealings with Russia,” Julliard elaborated.
He underscored that Greenpeace’s focus on Macron was due to his special responsibility, asserting that the French president “should be the first” European leader to halt trade agreements with Russia.
Since Russia’s incursion into Ukraine in February 2022, France has emerged as one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies. Macron has notably taken the lead in efforts to develop a cohesive European response to support Ukraine, particularly following US President Trump’s surprising direct negotiations with Russia.
Historically, the Grevin Museum has witnessed thefts of notable wax figures. For instance, the statue of Jacques Chirac was stolen in 1983 during his tenure as the mayor of Paris but was located just days later at the Vincennes Zoo. Additionally, during Valery Giscard d’Estaing’s presidency from 1974 to 1981, a similar robbery took place, executed by outraged motorcyclists.
