An unplanned shutdown of the Louvre in Paris was seen on Monday, displeasing numerous visitors during the start of the city’s busiest tourism season.
Attracting the highest number of art lovers, the museum reported around 8.7 million visitors last year. However, as the turn of this year came, the staff melted down to such a point that it halted operations in the middle of the day.
As per the Associated Press Monday report, the protest erupted during a routine internal meeting when the gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refused to manage a crowd that as per them was unmanageable. Further, they claimed to have been suffering understaffing and even “untenable” working conditions.
Speaking to the AP, Sarah Sefian, a union representative of CGT-Culture, said that most of the staff plan to strike for the entire day, while some may return temporarily to open a “masterpiece route” for visitors who bought tickets to experience the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, among other highlights. The museum should work as usual on Wednesday, knowing it remains closed on Tuesday per the schedule.
The strike flashes the institution and the cultural habitat of the country after Louvre director Laurence des Cars mentioned in her leaked memo that the museum is facing the problems of water leaks, overcrowding, and a “proliferation of damage in museum spaces.” She further suggested that it needs a rehaul, following which President Emmanuel Macron announced the Louvre’s renovation project. The renovation will give the Mona Lisa a dedicated area with a time entry ticked and a new entry. However, it is expected to be completed by 2031, costing €700–800 million.
Sefian contrasted the renovation plan and told AP,
“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.”
While it’s rare for the Louvre to close its gates, it has happened before a handful of times during the war, the pandemic, and strikes of 2013 and 2019 – walking out of staff over safety issues and overcrowding, respectively. Being the backbone of the country’s cultural tourism, it is important that the state pay attention to the matter and intervene for a resolution that can save it from being a beehive.
Featured Image: Visitors of Musée du Louvre (April 2005); Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.