Louvre forced to shut due to staff strike
The Louvre in Paris was forced to shut for hours on June 16th after staff members walked out of the world-famous museum on strike over poor working conditions and overcrowding.
The strike took place after staff claimed the world-famous museum, home to many globally-renowned works including the Mona Lisa, is struggling to cope with the hoards of mass tourists it brings through its doors every day.
Unlike previous strikes at the Louvre, however, the protest took place very suddenly when, during an internal meeting at the museum, employees refused to return to their posts due to the overwhelming crowds and severe understaffing.
Subsequently, this left the queues of the day’s tourists stranded outside the museum with their tickets in hand, with no information as to what was going on inside the attraction.
It comes after French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a plan earlier this year to overhaul the Louvre, fixing infrastructure problems not limited to water leaks, temperature swings, and the mass overcrowding issue within its walls.
However, as one staff member told the Associated Press: “We can’t wait six years for help. Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art — it’s about the people protecting it.”
Regarding its most famous attraction, the Mona Lisa, it is estimated that around 20,000 visitors take in the painting in one day alone, raising serious questions as to how this footfall is sustainable for the future.
Macron has come under fire over his plans for regenerating the Louvre, which has been criticised for taking too long. The current proposal for its $834 million investment could take until 2031.
The strike at the Louvre mirrored similar anti-tourism protests that took place across Europe in recent days, including elsewhere in Paris as well as in Mallorca, Barcelona, Venice, and Lisbon.
