Overview
- Students from the École du Louvre and allied fine‑arts groups blocked the Pyramid and Passage Richelieu entrances on Monday, preventing the museum from opening and forcing refunds for visitors.
- Roughly fifty participants led the action with backing from unions including CFDT and the culture division of the CGT, who say the site was chosen for its global visibility.
- Protesters handed out a leaflet reading “we blocked the largest museum in the world” and said their demands target budget cuts, job losses and what they call repressive police responses to student mobilizations.
- The blockade comes as weeks of student unrest escalated into weekend unrest that saw widespread violence, thousands of arrests and political pressure on the Interior Ministry after the minister offered his resignation and the president rejected it.
- The Louvre has faced repeated operational strains since last year’s high‑profile jewel theft, and today’s action raises fresh concerns about tourism disruption and added pressure on cultural institutions and the government to respond to protests.