Published on 07/09/2026 – 21:52 GMT+2•Updated 21:58
Staff at the Eiffel Tower walked off the job on Monday, forcing the closure of the Paris landmark. The protest follows a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation, during which female employees were reportedly moved out of sight.
The visit involved about 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) movement, which opened a new temple in France. According to union representative Diane Davoine, female workers were ‘moved away from their workstations as the delegation passed by’ on Saturday.
Eiffel Tower employees issued a statement condemning the instructions that led to women being sidelined and made invisible because of their gender. SETE, the company managing the tower, said the Hindu delegation had requested that interactions with women be limited, adding that such conditions should not have been accepted.
The BAPS temple in Paris responded, saying it took the concerns seriously and apologized for any inconvenience. It said the visit was organized with the Eiffel Tower team at opening hours to avoid disruption and that no one was denied access.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire posted on X that he was aware of the employee outcry and called the arrangement ‘unacceptable.’ He stressed that the Eiffel Tower must uphold values of equality and that an investigation would be launched. National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet also condemned the incident, affirming that women should not be asked to step aside for foreign visitors.
The tower’s website announced the Monday closure due to ‘exceptional circumstances’ and advised ticketed visitors to check their email for updates, apologizing for the disruption.
