Paris Shuts Major Museums As 70,000 Police Deployed For Protests
Paris museums close and 70000 officers deploy across France ahead of nationwide protests following violent unrest and thousands of recent arrests.
POLICY WIRE — Paris, France — Major cultural institutions in Paris shuttered their doors and authorities deployed a massive security presence for a fresh wave of demonstrations across France, aiming to avert a recurrence of the violent unrest that recently shook the nation.
Prominent galleries including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais closed on Saturday, Oct. 24, as the French government braced for further nationwide rallies following earlier riots that generated thousands of arrests.
French authorities mobilized a force of 70,000 law enforcement officers nationwide to maintain order during the scheduled Saturday demonstrations and prevent potential outbreaks of violence.
The closures arrive amidst broader challenges for the French capital, where protesters previously blocked access to the historic Louvre building during Monday demonstrations sparked by student strikes and mounting living costs.
France’s culture ministry strongly advised the closures over safety concerns, highlighting the growing strain on iconic cultural landmarks that have increasingly found themselves at the center of civil unrest and overtourism pressures.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
