Eiffel Tower employees went on strike after female staff members were withdrawn from a Hindu group

The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed to visitors on Monday after employees went on strike following a controversial incident on Saturday. According to the French press, management allegedly withdrew female employees from the monument’s third floor at the request of a Hindu religious group consisting of approximately 100 people.

The group’s visitors were subsequently accompanied only by male employees. Staff representatives deemed the decision “completely unacceptable,” while the company that operates the Eiffel Tower acknowledged that it had made the wrong choice.

The monument’s official website cited “operational reasons” for the closure. The incident prompted political and public reactions in Paris. Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire expressed his support for the protesting employees and announced that he would launch an investigation.

Ariel Weil, president of the company managing the Eiffel Tower, said that no religious reason could justify gender-based discrimination. Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, said she was shocked by the situation. It is unclear when the monument will reopen.،