Stolen Macron Wax Figure Returned by Greenpeace Activists
- Protesters willingly reclaim pilfered wax likeness of Macron
Hey there! Here's the lowdown on the recent drama surrounding France's Prez, Emmanuel Macron, and the eco-warriors at Greenpeace. The cat was let out of the bag when the Greenpeace squad, disguised as tourists, stole the Pres' wax figure from the iconic Musée Grévin in the heart of Paris. But don't worry - the statue is safe and sound, back in its rightful place, thanks to the activists' honorable return of the presidential figure.
This cheeky heist took place on a Monday, with the activists sneaking out the statue in a blanket via an emergency exit, having posed as tourists and museum workers. The Macron statue, worth about 40,000 euros, was the main attraction at the Musée Grévin, showcasing the Prez in a tricked-out setup inspired by the Élysée Palace.
But the tale doesn't end with a daring getaway. The Greenpeace crew, feeling guilty about nabbing the figure, contacted the museum to promise it would be returned undamaged soon. They placed the statue in front of the Russian embassy in Paris, as a way to protest the ongoing economic ties between the City of Lights and Moscow amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
On Tuesday evening, the activists delivered on their promise, depositing the statue in front of the building of the state-owned energy company EDF in Paris. The statue was accompanied by a sassy sign reading "Putin-Macron radioactive allies," quite the juicy headline for the morning papers. Naturally, the cops were called to secure the statue, and the Prez's wax double made its triumphant return to the museum.
Jean-François Julliard, the boss at Greenpeace France, gave the scoop to the news agency AFP, explaining that Greenpeace came to "return the statue of Emmanuel Macron," and that their intentions were always to "borrow" it for the protest. The museum is expected to drop the complaint, thrilled to have their prized possession back in one piece.
As it turns out, this ain't the first time a wax figure of a French politician has vanished from the Musée Grévin. Back in 1983, the then Paris mayor Jacques Chirac's statue turned up in the zoo a few days later. While the museum has not seen such shenanigans on the regular, it seems the Macron-Greenpeace incident has surely shaken things up!
In parallel with the returned wax figure of President Macron, there has been a push for the European Commission to submit a proposal for a directive aimed at protecting workers from the risks associated with exposure to ionising radiation. The political implications of this proposal, in light of the Greenpeace activism, have added an interesting twist to the general news landscape.
