The Louvre in Paris closed on Monday, leaving guests and vacationers pissed off and confused in the course of the begin of the town’s busiest vacationer season.
The museum is the preferred on the planet, reporting round 8.7 million guests to its galleries final 12 months. Nevertheless, that reputation has additionally led the museum to a “breaking level,” the Related Press reported Monday.
Throughout a “routine inner assembly,” museum docents, ticket sellers, and safety staff introduced a spontaneous strike to protest working circumstances on account of overcrowding and understaffing. Whereas the museum has closed on account of strikes previously, few have come with out discover, although it did occur in 2019 and 2013.
Sarah Sefian, a union consultant of CGT-Tradition, informed AP that the majority employees plan to strike for the complete day, although some might return to open a “masterpiece route” for these with tickets to see Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, amongst different highlights. The Louvre is usually closed on Tuesday, and Sefian stated that staff might return in order that the museum can reopen on Wednesday.
The strike comes simply months after the publication of a leaked memo by Louvre director Laurence des Automobiles through which she describes water leaks, overcrowding, and a “proliferation of harm in museum areas.” Des Automobiles went on to name for a serious overhaul of the museum, which is run by the state.
Every week after the leaked memo, President Emmanuel Macron introduced an intensive renovation plan dubbed the “Louvre New Renaissance,” that present the Mona Lisa a devoted room with a time-entry ticket, in addition to a brand new entrance. The plan, which might be accomplished by 2031. has been estimated to price €700–800 million.
Nevertheless, Sefian informed the AP that the plan doesn’t assist staff now.
“We are able to’t wait six years for assist,” Sefian stated. “Our groups are beneath strain now. It’s not simply in regards to the artwork — it’s in regards to the individuals defending it.”
