Eiffel Tower forced to shut after female members of staff 'made to hide' from Hindu visitors
Female staff were instructed to stay away during a tour of the iconic landmark organised by a Hindu delegation of around 100 people on Saturday
The Eiffel Tower was forced to shut on Monday due to a staff walkout after female employees were told to hide during a visit by a Hindu religious group.
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Female staff were instructed to stay away during a tour of the iconic landmark in Paris organised by a Hindu delegation of around 100 people on Saturday.
The tower was closed on Monday after staff walked out on strike in protest against the treatment of female employees during the visit by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group.
City Hall, which operates the famous monument, has ordered a probe into the incident and apologised for infringing France's republican principles of "equality between men and women".
"As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places," Diane Davoine, a union representative, told Reuters.
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"Tensions mounted over the weekend, so this morning, the employees decided to meet: first, to open a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again," she said.
Signs at the base of the tower on Monday read: "The opening of the Eiffel Tower is delayed for operational reasons."
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said that an investigation would be launched "as soon as possible". In a post on social media platform X, he said he was aware of the employees' anger and agreed their dissatisfaction was legitimate.
"It is urgent that all light be shed on the facts that led to this protest," Gregoire wrote.
Je prends connaissance du mouvement de colère des salarié·es de la tour Eiffel et je veux leur dire que leur mécontentement est légitime.
— Emmanuel Grégoire (@egregoire) September 7, 2026
Il n’est pas acceptable que de telles conditions puissent être tolérées. Ce ne sont ni mes valeurs, ni celles que doit porter la tour Eiffel,… https://t.co/3srttJpxPo
BAPS has apologised for the controversy, and said to its knowledge no staff were denied access to the tower.
"We understand the concerns raised and take them very seriously," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"Given the size of our delegation, the visit was organised in coordination with the Eiffel Tower team at the beginning of normal opening hours to minimise any inconvenience to other visitors.
"To our knowledge, at no point was anyone denied access to the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, we sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation.”