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Eiffel Tower Closes Amid Staff Protest Over Religious Visit
Confirmed
In Short: The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed on Monday after staff went on strike over female workers being removed for a Hindu religious group's visit.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed on Monday after staff went on strike over female workers being removed for a Hindu religious group's visit, according to reports. The Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company that operates the monument, confirmed that a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group visited the landmark on Saturday.
The incident sparked anger among the staff, leading to a strike. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said there would be an investigation into the circumstances of the visit. "I am taking note of the anger expressed by the employees of the Eiffel Tower, and I want to tell them that their discontent is legitimate," he wrote on X.
Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE) confirmed that the delegation had asked for the visit to be organised to limit "interactions with women." The BAPS temple in Paris said the large delegation's visit had been scheduled in consultation with Eiffel Tower management at the start of regular opening hours to reduce inconvenience to the public.
Union representatives said tensions among staff grew over the weekend, eventually prompting employees to hold a meeting on Monday. According to reports, female employees were told to leave areas where they were working as members of the delegation passed through, allowing male employees to take their places. The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday as a result of the staff strike.
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- "I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women." The BBC has contacted the Union Confédération générale du travail (CGT) for a response.
- Meanwhile, BAPS said the visit had been coordinated with Eiffel Tower authorities to minimise disruption and ensure normal access for visitors.
- Compte tenu de la taille de notre dlgation, la visite a t organise en coordination avec les quipes de la tour Eiffel, au dbut des horaires habituels d’ouverture, afin de limiter autant que pic.twitter.com/gyiwzmh6Jv — BAPS Mandir Swaminarayan Hindou de Paris (@BAPSParis) September 7, 2026 The organisation said it was not aware of any instance in which female employees were asked to leave their workstations or visitors were denied entry to the monument during the visit.