Louvre Museum shuts down as staff protest against mass tourism
The Louvre, the world's most visited museum, has halted its operations after its staff went on strike to protest mass tourism.
In a rare occurrence, thousands of museumgoers were stranded in long queues outside the glass pyramid after the Louvre Museum did not open on time on Monday, June 16, due to employees' unplanned strike.
Per Associated Press, the strike started during a routine internal meeting where gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel "refused to take up their posts in protest over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing," and "untenable" working conditions.
“What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation,” Sefian said. According to AP, dialogue between workers and management began at 10:30 a.m. and continued into the afternoon.
In January, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a decade-long plan to rehabilitate the museum to address damages such as water leaks, improper insulation for cold and heat, outdated infrastructure, and overcrowding that affects both the preservation of the artworks and museum experience.
Macros also said that Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa will have its own room.
However, employees said that teams "are under pressure now" and their needs need to be addressed urgently.
“We can’t wait six years for help,” Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent, told the outlet. “Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art — it’s about the people protecting it.”
According to the employees, managing the museum, which welcomes 30,000 visitors daily, has become "a daily test of endurance," lamenting the lack of resting areas, limited bathrooms, and the heat intensified by the "pyramid’s greenhouse effect."
The renovation plans came after Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned the government in a memo about the "proliferation of damage in museum spaces, some of which are in very poor condition."
She noted that other parts of the building are no longer watertight, and some experience significant temperature variations, endangering the preservation of artworks.
The Louvre seldom closes its doors. It only did during war, pandemic, and a "handful of strikes."
