EIFFEL TOWER REOPENS AFTER PROTEST OVER LIMITING WOMEN STAFF DURING HINDU DELEGATION VISIT

Tue 08 September 2026:

Hindu Delegation Visit Sparks Outcry in France

The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday after staff walked out in protest over the sidelining of female employees during a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation.

The monument’s operating company, SETE, acknowledged that the group had requested arrangements to limit “interactions with women” and said “these conditions should not have been accepted.”

The company said the landmark would reopen following a meeting between staff and management on Monday to discuss the incident, which has also drawn criticism from French politicians.

The Eiffel Tower’s website confirmed that the iconic monument was “open today”. Shortly before 9:30am (7:30 GMT), visitors were passing through security checkpoints at the foot of the tower, according to an AFP journalist.

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BAPS Apologises for Visit

The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement apologised for “any pain or inconvenience caused” by the visit.

“ To the best of our knowledge, at no point was anyone prevented access to the Eiffel Tower,” the organisation wrote on social media.

“Due to the size of our delegation, the visit was arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal operating hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others.”

Staff Condemn Female Employees Being Sidelined

Eiffel Tower employees said they condemned “professional instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex” during the delegation’s visit.

“Some were asked to leave their posts and withdraw to other areas. In some posts they were replaced by men. And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present,” staff said, adding that they were shocked to have been placed in such a situation.

French Politicians Call for Investigation

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched “as soon as possible”. In a social media post, he said he was aware of the employees’ anger and agreed that their dissatisfaction was legitimate.

Yael Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, also criticised the incident, writing on social media:

“Welcoming others never means giving up our values. In France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become invisible.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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