The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty, and endurance, has withstood war, terror, and pandemic—but on Monday, it was brought to a halt by its own striking staff, who say the institution is crumbling under the weight of mass tourism. Thousands of stranded and confused visitors, tickets in hand, were corralled into unmoving lines by IM Pei's glass pyramid, the AP reports. "It's the Mona Lisa moan out here," said Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee. "Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off."
The Louvre's spontaneous strike erupted during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refused to take up their posts in protest over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing, and what one union called "untenable" working conditions. "What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation," said Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent. While many striking staff plan to remain off duty all day, Sefian said some workers may return temporarily to open a limited "masterpiece route" for a couple of hours, allowing access to select highlights including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
- It's rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during war, during the pandemic, and in a handful of strikes—including spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019 and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds.
- The disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over—water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle.
- The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year—more than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a daily test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat magnified by the pyramid's greenhouse effect.
- In a leaked memo, Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are "no longer watertight," that temperature fluctuations endanger priceless art, and that even basic visitor needs—food, restrooms, signage—fall far below international standards. She described the experience simply as "a physical ordeal."
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