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Staff at the Eiffel Tower staged a walkout on Monday, forcing the landmark's closure after female employees were reportedly made invisible to accommodate a visiting Hindu religious group.
Eiffel Tower closes as staff strike over removal of women for Hindu group
Staff at the Eiffel Tower staged a walkout, forcing the closure of the iconic Parisian landmark on Monday. The protest was ignited by claims that female employees were moved out of sight during a visit from a Hindu religious group, specifically the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), which had recently inaugurated a new temple in France.
According to reporting from News, the situation unfolded after around 100 members of the BAPS delegation visited the Eiffel Tower on Saturday as part of their itinerary. Diane Davoine, a union representative, expressed outrage on French television, stating that female workers had been systematically sidelined to ensure the delegation’s comfort. Employees condemned this practice in a joint statement, highlighting that the actions taken resulted in women being "replaced and made invisible because of their sex," as detailed by Yahoo News Singapore.
Media additions
Workers detailed that instructions were given to female employees of the tower and contractors to make themselves invisible. Some were asked to leave their posts, withdraw to other areas, and were replaced by men, while all female employees were instructed not to cross certain areas during the delegation's presence. Yahoo News UK noted that visitors arriving on Monday were greeted by signs stating the opening was "delayed for operational reasons" or that the site was closed due to "exceptional circumstances."
| Entity / Official | Role / Affiliation | Stance on Incident |
|---|---|---|
| SETE Management | Tower Operating Company | Acknowledged conditions restricting women should not have been accepted; promised consequences. |
| Ariel Weil | SETE President / Paris Official | Stated the practice is unacceptable and reaffirmed commitment to republican values. |
| Emmanuel Grégoire | Paris Mayor | Called the sidelining unacceptable and announced an investigation. |
| Yaël Braun-Pivet | National Assembly President | Asserted that welcoming others must not come at the expense of national values. |
| BAPS Paris Temple | Religious Delegation | Expressed seriousness regarding concerns, apologized for distress, and stated visit was arranged to avoid disruptions. |
SETE, the company managing the Eiffel Tower, confirmed that the Hindu delegation had requested arrangements that limited interactions with women. They acknowledged that these requests should not have been accommodated in such a manner, noting that the conditions were not in line with SETE's values or gender equality principles. SETE president Ariel Weil told AFP that no religious motive could justify gender-based distinctions, according to Yahoo News UK.
In an official response on Monday evening, Euronews reported that the BAPS temple in Paris expressed seriousness regarding the concerns voiced by Eiffel Tower employees and offered apologies for any distress caused. The temple explained that the visit was organized to minimize disruptions and that, to their knowledge, no one was denied access to the landmark. BAPS, which is close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling conservative Hindu nationalist party, had consecrated its first major temple near Paris on Sunday, as reported by Yahoo News Singapore.
Political figures reacted swiftly. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire stated on social media platform X that the circumstances leading to the women's sidelining were unacceptable, emphasizing that such values do not align with the Eiffel Tower's principles. Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of the National Assembly, echoed these sentiments, asserting that it is intolerable for women to be instructed to step aside due to foreign visitor demands. Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist rival Gabriel Attal also criticized the incident, emphasizing that no religion can dictate women's place in French public life.
While El Balad noted that initial reports highlighted the immediate disruption to visitors in Paris without full details of a staff demand list, the broader operational impact is clear. The Eiffel Tower, which receives nearly seven million visitors a year, remained closed through Monday.
What to Watch Next
- An official investigation launched by Parisian authorities into how SETE management agreed to the delegation's conditions.
- The anticipated reopening of the Eiffel Tower on Tuesday, as confirmed by a staff representative.
- Further statements from SETE leadership regarding internal policy adjustments following their promised review of the consequences.
