France’s Eiffel Tower, the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world, has reopened to visitors after a staff strike triggered by the removal of female workers during a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation. According to the company that runs the Parisian landmark, the 100-strong delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group had requested for “interactions with women” to be limited during its visit to the landmark on Saturday. The company complied, with staff telling French news agency that female employees were “instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present.” In an interview with , staff union representative Diane Davoine said that women on staff “were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there” and felt “humiliated” by the company’s decision.
The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after workers launched a strike in protest of the move. Ariel Weil, president of the Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel or SETE, the company operating the Eiffel Tower, said its managers were “a bit overzealous” in complying with the request without considering whether it was “inappropriate,” as reported by the BBC. In a post published on X, the Hindu group behind the delegation which visited the monument on the weekend, BAPS said the trip was “arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others.” The group “nonetheless” apologised “for any pain or inconvenience caused”, adding that they are “deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others.” Newsweek contacted SETE and BAPS Paris for comment by email on Tuesday morning.
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