Thousands of Visitors Stuck in Hours-Long Lines as Louvre Museum Shuts Down Due to Staff Strike
Today, June 16, thousands of visitors to the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris found themselves stranded in hours-long lines outside the institution as it unexpectedly closed its doors for part of the day due to a spontaneous staff strike. The strike, involving gallery attendants, reception workers, and security personnel, was prompted by grievances over poor working conditions exacerbated by overcrowding and a shortage of staff.
This impromptu work stoppage comes on the heels of French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement earlier this year of a major ten-year renovation project for the Louvre. The overhaul aims to address longstanding issues such as water leaks, deteriorating infrastructure, and increasing crowd congestion that have plagued the museum for years.
According to a museum spokesperson, the Louvre, which typically opens at 9 am, remained closed to the public until 2:30 pm. A message on the Louvre’s website informed visitors that the museum might open later in the day. It is unclear which workers eventually returned to work. Following its standard operating schedule, the Louvre will be closed on Tuesday and is set to reopen on Wednesday.
Christian Galani, a representative for the C.G.T.-Culture labor union, revealed, “We didn’t plan to go on strike, but the people are so exhausted, they can’t support the conditions getting worse and worse.”
As with many other cultural sites in Europe, overcrowding remains a significant challenge for the Louvre. Last year, the museum welcomed 8.7 million visitors, with 77% of them coming from countries outside of France. In response to the influx of visitors, the museum’s management announced a daily cap of 30,000 visitors in 2023.
The ongoing renovation project aims to alleviate the strain caused by increasing visitor numbers by creating a dedicated gallery space for the famous “Mona Lisa” and adding more entry points. However, frustrated museum workers argue that the timeline for completing the project is too distant to address their immediate concerns.
Sarah Sefian, a spokesperson for the General Confederation of Labor-Culture (CGT-Culture) union representing museum workers, emphasized, “Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art — it’s about the people protecting it.”
Hyperallergic has reached out to the Louvre, CGT-Culture, and the Ministry of Culture for comments on the situation.
