Environmental Activists Pull Off Audacious Heist of Macron Waxwork in Paris

In a bold move, Greenpeace activists have taken a waxwork of President Emmanuel Macron from the Grevin Museum in Paris, later displaying it outside the Russian embassy to call attention to France's continued business ties with Russia during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In a daring act of protest, environmental activists from Greenpeace have successfully stolen a waxwork figure of French President Emmanuel Macron from the Grevin Museum in Paris. Disguised as museum employees, the activists cleverly navigated their way into the facility, where they changed attire, concealed the wax statue with a blanket, and exited through an emergency exit, according to police reports shared with the French news agency AFP.

The waxwork later surfaced outside the Russian Embassy in Paris, where the activists displayed it alongside placards and banners denouncing Macron's perceived hypocrisy in allowing French companies to maintain business connections with Russia. This disapproval arises particularly in light of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a situation that has garnered Macron's vocal support for Kyiv as he seeks to lead European efforts toward a potential ceasefire.

The staged display showcased footage of the activists positioning the waxwork outside the embassy, emphasizing their grievance against Macron’s “double discourse” on trade with Russia. Jean-Francois Julliard, the head of Greenpeace France, criticized the French government's conflicting stance, expressing that Macron "embodies this double game" and should take transformative action by halting trade agreements with Russian firms.

According to analysis conducted by the BBC, despite sanctions, Russia has continued generating significant revenue from fossil fuel exports to Europe, amounting to billions since the invasion began in 2022. In fact, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that France alone contributed nearly €17.9 billion through these trade channels with Russia, giving rise to widespread criticism of the country's economic choices amidst the humanitarian crisis.

Despite France's commitment to providing military support for Ukraine, alongside several imposed sanctions on Russia, Macron has warned of potential further punitive measures against Moscow should it refuse to cooperate in ceasefire negotiations. No arrests have been reported following this audacious act, and the waxwork—valued at around €40,000—remains unaccounted for as of yet.