Trump waxwork
A topless Femen activist protests in front of a wax statue of US president-elect Donald Trump at the Wax Museum of Madrid, Spain on 17 January Gerard Julien/AFP

A topless feminist attacked a waxwork model of Donald Trump as it was unveiled at a museum in Madrid, Spain on Tuesday (17 January 2017). The protester squeezed the lifelike imitation of the President-elect's crotch – an apparent reference to his remarking that he liked to grab women by their vaginas.

The woman entered the hall of the Wax Museum of Madrid as the latest addition to its 450-piece collection was being unveiled to press photographers. She approached the waxwork of Trump and placed her hand by its groin while shouting "grab patriarchy by the balls".

She had the same motto painted on her back in black paint and the words"grab back" painted on her bare chest. The model did not appear to be damaged, although the woman was dragged away with some difficulty by museum staff after a performance that lasted several minutes.

A museum spokesman said that increased security measures were being around statues across the world "not only for Trump" but because "now things are happening that did not happen before". He added: "If they want to do this, they should do it directly to him. This is too easy," according to El Mundo.

The woman is believed to belong to Femen, a self-described "radical feminist" movement founded in France that has gained a reputation for nude protests. The group claims to fight patriarchy in the forms of sexual exploitation, dictatorships and religion.

In October 2016, audio footage of Donald Trump boasting about how he liked to "grab 'em [woman] by the pussy" was leaked. It sparked a global controversy and was assumed by many to be the final nail in the coffin of his seemingly hopeless presidential campaign.

He was elected as the 45th US President on 10 November, defeating Hillary Clinton, the first female presidential nominee of a major political party.

Trump waxwork
Wax statue of US president-elect Donald Trump during its presentation at the Wax Museum of Madrid, Spain on 17 January 2017 Gerard Julien/AFP