Women share banana selfies in protest after feminist artwork is removed

Several hundred Polish women are sharing photographs of themselves eating bananas on Instagram – together with the hashtag #bananaselfie.

The social media activists are protesting the removal of feminist artwork from Poland’s National Museum in Warsaw last week.

One of the pieces is a video installation entitled “Consumer Art”, which was produced by artist Natalia LL – dubbed a “Polish-born pioneer of feminism” – in 1973.

READ MORE: Man seeks Tinder dates to turn vaginas into art

The artwork in question features a woman eating a banana, and has been in the gallery for several years.

The removal of the artwork occurred after the new museum head, Jerzy Miziolek, was summoned to the Ministry of Culture.

Another video by a different female artist, which shows a woman walking two men who are dressed like dogs, has also been removed.

READ MORE: Topless activists stage London Fashion Week protest

Last week, in an interview with Polish publication Onet.pl, Miziolek said he was “opposed to showing works that could irritate sensitive young people”.

However, the removal has prompted a stir, with Instagram users campaigning for “free speech” and “anti-censorship”.

The backlash isn’t limited to Instagram only. Protesters yesterday gathered in front of the museum, brandishing the bananas which have become symbolic of the anti-censorship protest.

This isn’t the first time bananas have been used as a political symbol this year.

Back in February, Meghan Markle wrote inspirational messages on bananas to sex workers – although some later branded them “offensive”.