The Louvre Museum Partially open Today (Thursday)
Paris' Louvre partially opens on Thursday as staff decided, on Wednesday, to extend a strike over pay and working conditions after a high-profile jewel heist and recent infrastructure failures exposed security lapses and the museum's deteriorating state.
The strike comes after a spectacular jewel heist in October, as well as recent infrastructure problems, including a water leak that damaged ancient books, which have exposed glaring security gaps and revealed the museum's deteriorating state.
Unions have said that staff at the Louvre are overworked and mismanaged, and they are calling for more hiring, pay increases and a redirection of spending.
Visitors will have limited access to the “masterpiece route” which includes Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and the famous Venus de Milo.
“Due to a strike, some rooms in the Louvre Museum are ... closed,” it said on social media. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”
On the Louvre site it says: 'Thursday 18 December: Due to public strikes, the museum may open later and some exhibition rooms may remain closed. We apologise for the inconvenience.'