Eiffel Tower closes as staff strike after female employees 'made invisible' for Hindu group visit

On Monday, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, shut down due to a strike by staff members protesting the exclusion of female employees during a visit by a Hindu religious group. Visitors encountered a sign indicating that the tower's opening had been delayed for operational reasons. The striking employees released a statement condemning the professional instructions that led to female staff being sidelined, replaced, and rendered invisible due to their gender during the religious group's visit.

Approximately 100 men from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement were in attendance.

The operator of the tower, SETE, stated that the group had requested a visit with limited interactions involving women. Paris Socialist mayor Emmanuel Gregoire labeled the incident as "unacceptable," emphasizing that equality between women and men should extend beyond the Eiffel Tower to all areas of the city. SETE acknowledged that the decision was a mistake and that such conditions should not have been tolerated.

The company's head, Ariel Weil, who is also a Paris elected official, stated that SETE would draw the necessary conclusions from the situation, expressing that no religious motive could justify gender-based distinctions in welcoming the public.

The Eiffel Tower typically welcomes around seven million visitors annually. Due to the strike, the landmark remained closed throughout Monday, but management indicated that it would reopen on Tuesday.