Louvre Museum Closes Temporarily as Staff Strike Halts Operations Over Overcrowding

On Monday, June 16, the Louvre Museum in Paris abruptly closed for several hours due to a spontaneous strike by its staff protesting unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing, and deteriorating working conditions. Thousands of visitors were left waiting outside the museum's iconic glass pyramid without clear communication, leading to frustration among tourists. The strike occurred during a routine internal meeting and saw gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refuse to work, highlighting the severe strain caused by overtourism and infrastructure issues at the museum. This disruption comes months after President Emmanuel Macron announced a decade-long renovation plan aimed at addressing the Louvre's outdated infrastructure and excessive visitor numbers, which reached 8.7 million last year. Museum staff and union representatives emphasized the urgent need for immediate action, as parts of the building are no longer watertight and the current conditions are untenable. Despite the reopening around 2:30 p.m., the strike underscored the broader challenges faced by major tourist sites overwhelmed by mass tourism.