What to Know About the Louvre Workers Strike and Anti-Tourism Movements in Europe

The Louvre unexpectedly closed since Monday. Surprisingly, given the current political climate, the surprise shuttering came as a result of, not world events, but staffing issues.

It started with the world-renowned museum temporarily shutting down for a few hours due to issues with infrastructure and a vast influx of tourists. The unplanned worker strike spontanously came during an internal meeting, per CNN, that led everyone from gallery attendants to security refusing to return to their posts due to extreme crowds and reoccuring understaffing.

The 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.

Home of many historic masterpieces including Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and Eugène Delacroix’s "Liberty Leading the People," the Louvre closure is surprising, given that the Parisian museum almost never closes doors (unless it's for a pandemic, war, or a mass strike, historically). But this latest closure comes amid country-wide discussions on helping the institution. French President Emmanuel Macron announced a 10-year “Louvre New Renaissance" initiative in January, but little has been done.

Louvre President Laurence des Cars flagged the infrastructure has serious problems, including water leakages and temperature swings that risk affecting the art with irreversible damage, per a leaked memo obtained by the Washington Post.

This comes amid overtourism and anti-tourism movements rising across Europe, including protests in Venice against Jeff Bezos' upcoming wedding and ongoing rallies in Spain and Portugal.

It's possible the museum will be open on June 18, but nothing is certain yet. The strike may persist.

Check back for updates on the Louvre worker strike and reopening plans.