Louvre and other museums closing for Saturday protests as French authorities deploy 70,000 officers

Oct. 23, 2026 at 3:06 am 

Updated Oct. 23, 2026 at 7:12 am



1 of 5 | Workers board up a storefront on the eve of a demonstration against rising living... (AP Photo/Teresa Suarez)More

By
ELITSA GADEVA and SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press


PARIS (AP) — Some 70,000 law enforcement officers will be deployed across France on Saturday while the Louvre and several other major Paris museums will be closed as authorities seek to prevent renewed violence during planned protests.

Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police. It was France’s most violent unrest in years.

Demonstrators plan to take to the streets again Saturday to denounce the high cost of living. Students, members of the CGT labor union and activists from the “ yellow vest ” movement, whose demonstrations against social injustice shook France in 2018 and 2019, are all set to join.

While some protests have been banned for security reasons in several cities, including Lyon, Nice and Montpellier, marches are expected in many other places including in Paris and Marseille.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said some 70,000 police officers and gendarmes would be deployed, along with helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons. In addition, elite police units will help secure public buildings like city halls in a “highly mobile” security operation, he said.

“There have been numerous calls from radical far-left groups on social media to commit acts of violence and vandalism. There have also been renewed calls for looting, with those messages clearly being spread by rioters,” Nuñez said at a news conference.

“We will be absolutely uncompromising” with those involved in violence, he added, warning that police will have a “very firm approach to making arrests, and there will be legal consequences.”

Paris museums to be closed

In a statement to The Associated Press, the Culture Ministry said the Louvre, the Orsay and Picasso museums as well as the Grand Palais would be closed. The ministry called on all institutions under its authority to adopt any necessary measures to ensure “visitor safety, staff protection and the preservation of artworks,” according to the statement.

After two days when admission was by invitation only, Art Basel Paris opened to the public Friday — but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers to cancel the weekend program. One of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, Art Basel includes exhibitions by 211 international galleries at Paris’ Grand Palais.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, and the safety of everyone involved in the fair remains our utmost priority,” organizers said in a statement Thursday.

Saloni Doshi, an art collector who traveled to Paris from India for the fair, grew worried last Saturday as she saw the fires and panicked people, and she received phone calls from friends asking whether Paris was safe. She agreed with the organizers’ rationale to close.

Antoine Donzeaud and Elisa Rigoulet, the owners of the gallery exo exo, felt the same.

“We understand this decision, which we consider reasonable and consistent with the urgency of the social demands currently unfolding in France,” they said in a text message.

But some visitors were disappointed.

“It’s very sad, because we just came here to the fair, and we could not get in because they canceled it for the weekend,” said Fabián Hernández, 32, from Mexico City. “So it’s very busy today, and it’s disappointing to me because I love the art fair, you know? But it is what it is.”
An anti far-right protest is planned

A demonstration Saturday in the city of Orléans, about 110 kilometers (70 miles) south of Paris, will also be closely watched.

About 50 organizations have called for a protest against the far right on the sidelines of the two-day congress of Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, anti-immigration party ahead of next spring’s presidential election. Organizers include labor unions, left-wing political parties, student organizations and anti-racism groups.

Hugues Moutouh, the prefect of the Loiret region, said that 20,000 to 30,000 demonstrators from across the country were expected.

Le Pen, whom opinion polls place as the front-runner in next year’s election, accused left-wing organizations and political parties of trying to “disrupt a political party’s democratic congress,” on news broadcaster Franceinfo.

Still, she said she had “no concerns” about security because the government had “recognized the need for measures allowing the congress to proceed safely.”

___

Associated Press writers David Biller and Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.

ELITSA GADEVA.
SYLVIE CORBET.

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Protest in Paris on October 17th - Manifestation à Paris le 17 Octobre

Activist Greta Thunberg joins a student protest in France

Dmitri - The satanic Paris fashion week

Eiffel Tower closed due to strike after female staff allegedly removed for religious group

A sign declaring the Eiffel Tower opening delayed in Paris, France, on September 7, 2026. Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters

By

Rhea Mogul
Updated Sep 8, 2026

The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed on Monday as employees went on strike to protest claims female colleagues were told to stay out of sight during a visit by a Hindu religious group, drawing criticism from French politicians.

Around 100 members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a global Hindu organization headquartered in Ahmedabad, India, visited the landmark on Saturday.

BAPS describes itself as a “spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship” dedicated to improving society through individual growth and promoting the Hindu values of faith, service and global harmony. The group inaugurated a new Hindu temple in Paris on Sunday.

Diane Davoine, a union representative for the Eiffel Tower staff, told reporters that during the visit, “women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there.”

“So that absolutely does not go down well with the employees, with women obviously, who are all humiliated by what happened, by the way some were treated,” she said.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said an investigation has been launched into the claims.

“It is not acceptable that such conditions can be tolerated,” he wrote on X. “These are neither my values, nor those that the Eiffel Tower should uphold, where everyone should be able to move about and act freely, without distinction between women and men.”

The Eiffel Tower Operating Company (SETE) acknowledged that the delegation had requested a visit that limited “interactions with women,” according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

SETE said that “these conditions should not have been accepted,” BFMTV reported.

CNN has contacted SETE for a response.

In a statement on X, BAPS did not directly mention the female staff but said it took the concerns “very seriously” and that the visit was organized “in coordination with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours” to limit disruption to other visitors.

“To the best of our knowledge, at no point was anyone prevented access to the Eiffel Tower,” the statement said. “Nevertheless, we sincerely apologise for any pain or inconvenience caused.”

When reached by CNN for comment, BAPS Paris said in a statement, “It was never, at any point, intended as a request rooted in gender, and any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the spirit or values of our fellowship or the delegation.”

“BAPS remains firmly committed to the principles of equality, mutual respect, and service to all, regardless of gender, background, or belief – values that lie at the very heart of our tradition’s teachings and community work worldwide,” the statement continued.

News of the closure made headlines in India on Tuesday. Some commentators on social media asked why the monument’s management complied with the purported request to sideline female staff. Several others said the incident has stained India’s credibility and the Hindu religion.

The Saint Bartholomew’s Day

St. Bartholomew’s Day

St. Bartholomew’s Day (24th August 1572)

A massive massacre of Protestants

Charles IX had tried to reconcile the two religious parties, but when this failed, he was driven by the Guise family to authorize the Catholics to assassinate the Protestant leaders; the situation degenerated into a massive massacre.

A royal marriage

The treaty of Saint-Germain in 1570 was a new attempt towards civil peace and brought the third war of religion to an end. However, it aroused the anger of the ultra Catholics who – led by the Guise family – esteemed it to be too favourable to Protestants.

The queen mother Catherine de Medici, hoping to establish national reconciliation for good, helped to bring about the marriage of Henri of Navarre, the future Henri IV, a protestant, to Marguerite de Valois, sister of Charles IX. Numerous protestant noblemen from the king of Navarre’s retinue came to Paris for the wedding, which took place on 18th August.

An eventual war against Flanders

The leader of the protestant party, Admiral de Coligny, a favourite of the king, urged him to take part in the war that was taking place in the Low Countries (or Flanders). His idea was for France to join forces with the prince of Orange and to support those who had risen up against Philip II of Spain. He was convinced that a war against Spain would be the best way of reconciling Catholics and Protestants, united against a common adversary.

An attempt on de Coligny's life

On 22nd August, an attempt was made upon the life of Admiral de Coligny as he was coming out of the king’s council at the Louvre palace. The attempt failed but the admiral was wounded. This was probably the work of the Guise family, who were very much opposed to the Flanders war ; and Spain may have taken in the plot.

Crazed Paris Terrorist Cuts Down 3 Women, Screams ‘Allah Commanded Me!’

New York Post

Jul 27, 2026  #Paris #France #ParisAttack

A knife-wielding attacker stabbed three women, including a pregnant victim, during a terrifying rampage in Paris before bystanders and an off-duty police officer intervened. The suspect allegedly screamed “Allah commanded me!” during the attack before he was subdued and taken into custody.

Read more at https://nypost.com/2026/07/27/world-n...

France Leads Ukraine Support Talks As Allies Gather In Paris Summit | DWS News | AC14

Woke Paris politician blames Americans and our air conditioning for Europe heat wave that has killed 1,300 people

By Ronny Reyes
Published June 29, 2026
Updated June 29, 2026, 5:02 p.m. ET

Deadly Heatwave Bakes Europe as Record Temperatures Persist

A Paris politician blamed Americans and US air conditioning for the record-breaking heat wave in Europe that has resulted in more than 1,300 excess deaths.

After US tourists mocked France over the lack of air conditioning across the country amid 104-degree temperatures, Audrey Pulvar, deputy mayor of Paris for international relations, claimed the situation was partly America’s fault.

Audrey Pulvar blamed the United States and air conditioning for the record-breaking European heat wave.

Ait Adjedjou Karim/ABACA / Shutterstock


“Dear American journalists and social media ‘influencers’: for days, some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris because the city does not have A/C in every room … OMG, this is so rich!” Pulvar wrote on social media.

“As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, you bear a significant amount of responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing. Your cities, which are 90 percent air conditioned, are not unrelated to this,” she added.

“So please, enough with the lecture. Just start doing your part,” the post concluded.

France has long been resistant to air conditioning, with only 25% of households in the country equipped with such cooling units.

The reticence to install AC has been attributed to concerns over the environment, the culture, and strict building codes — but the tides have begun changing as summers get hotter and hotter.

The spat between Pulvar and Americans comes amid a record heat wave in Europe, with France experiencing a surge of deaths that have left morgues struggling to keep up.

France has recorded at least 1,300 excess deaths since June 21, the public health agency said Sunday, warning that the final figures could be higher.

Paris Metro Targeted Amid Nationwide Transport Strikes in France

Riots erupt in Paris after French PM ousted

Chaos Erupts in Paris as PSG Fans Clash with Police After Champions Leag...

NOTRE DAME (Cathedral) "Rebirth" Ritual FULL COVERAGE (R$E)

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“Peace today is the real battle”, says French president at Sant'Egidio meeting

Sant'Egidio held its annual “Meeting for Peace” in Paris. “Peace is only possible in coexistence,” French President Emmanuel Macron told delegates.

By Jean-Christophe Ploquin

September 24th, 2024 at 08:55 am (Europe\Rome). Updated September 24th, 2024 at 10:51 am (Europe\Rome)

France's President Emmanuel Macron (C-R) and founder of the catholic charity Sant'Egidio community Andrea Riccardi (C-L) pose for a photo at the International Meeting for Peace in Paris, France, 22 September 2024. (Photo by EPA/MAXPPP)


Thousands gathered in Paris for two days of reflection for Sant'Egidio's annual “Meeting for Peace” centered on the theme “Imagining Peace.” The idea to host the 2024 edition in Paris originated two years ago, when French President Emmanuel Macron was invited as a speaker at the meeting.

The event opened with several speeches. Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, sounded the alarm: “For decades, the culture of peace was a powerful reference. But now, it has evaporated.” Sant’Egidio now tracks 59 conflicts globally. In Europe, the memory of the tragedies of the 20th century is fading, and many political leaders are confined to a narrow realism.

After listening to the Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, Catholic Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris, and France’s Chief Rabbi, Haïm Korsia, Emmanuel Macron spoke for 25 minutes. He mentioned current tragedies but did not offer any concrete proposals.

Rich nations pledge to unlock hundreds of billions of dollars for climate fight

By John Irish and Leigh Thomas

June 23, 20238:15 AM EDT

Updated 19 hours ago


Summary

• World leaders and global organisations meet in Paris
• Agreement for development banks to boost lending
• Rich nations close in on $100 bln climate finance pledge
• U.S., China adopt conciliatory tone on debt relief

PARIS, June 23 (Reuters) - Multilateral development banks like the World Bank are expected to find $200 billion in extra firepower for low-income economies by taking on more risk, a move that may require wealthy nations to inject more cash, world leaders said on Friday.

The leaders, gathered at a summit in Paris to thrash out funding for the climate transition and post-COVID debt burdens of poor countries, said their plans would secure billions of dollars of matching investment from the private sector.

An overdue pledge of $100 billion in climate finance for developing nations was also now in sight, they said.

Many in attendance, however, said over the two-day summit that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were increasingly ill-suited for tackling the most pressing challenges and needed a broad revamp.

The Christchurch “Call To Action” Summit in Paris Exposed! They’re Comin...

censo

Paris Climate Agreement

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Content:
Webnews 06/09/2016

Ahead of the expected vote in the European Parliament in October, the Secretariat of COMECE welcomes the ratification by China and the United States of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The ratification by these two states, given their economic weight and their environmental impact, represents a significant step in the right direction.

In an appeal addressed to the COP 21 negotiating parties in October 2015, COMECE and the continental groupings of national episcopal conferences had called for a climate agreement that is fair, legally binding and leading to concrete changes.

The 2015 agreement under ratification should deliver ‘an adaptation approach that adequately responds to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable communities and builds on local alternatives’.

COMECE urges political, economic players and every citizen to engage resolutely in putting into practice an ‘ecological conversion’, to which Pope Francis invited us again last 1 September.

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SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

[photo credit: iStock, 2015]
ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS TO BE GOOD STEWARDS.

December 03, 2015 | Silver Spring, Maryland USA | ANN Staff |

As world leaders gather in Paris for the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Seventh-day Adventist Church supports and applauds the efforts of these leaders to come to an agreement to stem the deterioration of our earth due to climate change.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has long supported responsible stewardship of all God has created and reinforces its belief that we all need to be responsible for the resources He has given us. As early as 1995 the Church issued an official statement on the Environment. The statement reads as follows:

“Seventh-day Adventists believe that humankind was created in the image of God, thus representing God as His stewards, to rule the natural environment in a faithful and fruitful way.

Unfortunately, corruption and exploitation have been brought into the management of the human domain of responsibility. Increasingly men and women have been involved in a megalomaniacal destruction of the earth's resources, resulting in widespread suffering, environmental disarray, and the threat of climate change. While scientific research needs to continue, it is clear from the accumulated evidence that the increasing emission of destructive gasses, the depletion of the protective mantel of ozone, the massive destruction of the American forests, and the so-called greenhouse effect, are all threatening the earth's eco-system.

These problems are largely due to human selfishness and the egocentric pursuit of getting more and more through ever-increasing production, unlimited consumption and depletion of nonrenewable resources. The ecological crisis is rooted in humankind's greed and refusal to practice good and faithful stewardship within the divine boundaries of creation.

Seventh-day Adventists advocate a simple, wholesome lifestyle, where people do not step on the treadmill of unbridled consumerism, goods-getting, and production of waste. We call for respect of creation, restraint in the use of the world's resources, reevaluation of one's needs, and reaffirmation of the dignity of created life.”

We support the efforts of world leaders and all humankind to protect and respect that which has been created by God and entrusted to us.

Source: "Adventist News Network"

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Jake Tapper: I'm ashamed by U.S. leaders' absence in Paris

Flashback to the Charlie Hebdo Attacks in January 2015

-----

By Jake Tapper, CNN


Updated 7:45 AM ET, Mon January 12, 2015

Story highlights

Jake Tapper: American leaders were conspicuously absent from historic Paris rally

The French are eager to see signs of U.S. support after terrorist attacks

Jake Tapper is anchor of CNN's "The Lead With Jake Tapper" and chief Washington correspondent.


Paris (CNN)"Thank you," said the man. I was standing outside of the offices of Charlie Hebdo covering the aftermath of the terrorist attacks for CNN. He was thanking me just for being here, just for covering the event and its aftermath, what Le Monde referred to as France's September 11. And his appreciation was echoed by French citizen after French citizen.

The rally Sunday for unity drew 1.5 million people in Paris and more than twice that nationwide; it was like nothing I've ever seen or covered. Our nation's oldest ally stood firm. A young Muslim Frenchwoman held a sign saying "Je suis Juif."

Jake Tapper

A man and his son came over to me holding a sign saying "I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it," beseeching me to share their message with the American people. And world leaders were standing together amidst a procession that included Francois Hollande of France, Angela Merkel of Germany, David Cameron of Great Britain, Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, along with the leaders of Mali, Jordan and Turkey.

It is no small thing for the king of Jordan, a direct descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, to march in a rally prompted by the murders of people who mocked Islam as well as of innocent Jews -- all of whom were killed by Islamic extremists.

The United States, which considers itself to be the most important nation in the world, was not represented in this march -- arguably one of the most important public demonstrations in Europe in the last generation -- except by U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley, who may have been a few rows back. I didn't see her. Even Russia sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

I say this as an American -- not as a journalist, not as a representative of CNN -- but as an American: I was ashamed.

I certainly understand the security concerns when it comes to sending President Barack Obama, though I can't imagine they're necessarily any greater than sending the lineup of other world leaders, especially in aggregate.

But I find it hard to believe that collectively President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Attorney General Eric Holder -- who was actually in France that day for a conference on counterterrorism -- just had no time in their schedules on Sunday. Holder had time to do the Sunday shows via satellite but not to show the world that he stood with the people of France?

There was higher-level Obama administration representation on this season's episodes of "The Good Wife" on CBS.

I get that the President visited the French Embassy in Washington and that Secretary of State John Kerry spoke in French, and I certainly understand that the American commitment to security in Europe rivals no other. But with all due respect, those are politicians spending money that they didn't earn and sending troops whom they don't know.

And this is not just a matter of the current occupant of the White House.

I find it hard to believe that Speaker of the House John Boehner and new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had more worthy pursuits on Sunday than standing side-by-side with our French brothers and sisters as they came together in an inspirational way.

After September 11, the first world leader to visit the United States was France's Jacques Chirac, though the most forceful conversation about France in Congress that I can recall came a few years later during debate over whether to invade Iraq and revolved around renaming pommes frites in the U.S. House cafeteria.

And I'm frankly floored that not one of the people who is contemplating running for president in 2016 has yet to even tweet on the subject of the momentous demonstration in Paris, much less attend France's biggest rally in the history of the republic.

I imagine that Hillary Clinton and her husband are kicking themselves for not hopping on a corporate jet to get here. Can you picture Hillary and Bill walking in the front row, arm-in-arm with Netanyahu and Hollande?

Chris Christie, Scott Walker and Paul Ryan attended the Green Bay-Dallas football game Sunday and at least one of them sent his potential rivals mischievous tweets as if they were contemplating running for president of Beta Theta Pi.

And Jeb? Mitt? Crickets.

Why? I hope it's not American arrogance, a belief that everyone should express shock when something bad happens to us but that our presence at an international rally is worth less than a ticket to the Green Bay game when the victims speak in accents we don't understand.

I suppose there's always the risk that coming to an event like this as an American leader and getting stuck in the third row could be embarrassing or could lead to accusations that you're trying to capitalize on a tragedy.

But that's not how it would have been interpreted in France.

People here are happy that Americans care. They're eager and appreciative of any evidence of that. And I know it exists -- although American Twitter seemed much more focused on the Golden Globes than anything else Sunday night.

I only wish our leaders had done a better job of showing solidarity with the passion for the freedoms exemplified by the rally.

Source

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Paris Attacks Kill More Than 100, Police Say; Border Controls Tightened

EUROPE


By ADAM NOSSITER and RICK GLADSTONE


NOV. 13, 2015 610





SLIDE SHOW|14 Photos
Deadly Attacks in Paris
Deadly Attacks in Paris

CreditYoan Valat/European Pressphoto Agency


PARIS — The Paris area reeled Friday night from a shooting rampage, explosions and mass hostage-taking that President François Hollande called an unprecedented terrorist attack on France. He announced sharply increased border controls and mobilized the military in a national emergency.

French television and news services quoted the police as saying around 100 people had been killed at a concert venue where hostages had been taken in a two-hour standoff with the police, and perhaps many more killed in apparently coordinated attacks outside the country’s main sports stadium and at least five other popular locations in the city. But estimates on the total number of dead varied widely in the confusion.

Witnesses on French television said the scene at the concert hall, which can seat as many as 1,500 people, was a massacre. Ambulances were seen racing back and forth in the area into the early hours of Saturday morning.


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NOV. 13, 2015

Television reports said at least two assailants at the concert hall were killed as police assaulted the building.

NEWS CLIPS: EUROPE 00:49Scene of Deadly Attacks in Paris

Video

Scene of Deadly Attacks in Paris

Police in Paris confirmed on Friday that several people were killed in multiple acts of violence in and around the city. Publish DateNovember 13, 2015. Photo by Thibault Camus/Associated Press.

Watch in Times Video »

The casualties eclipsed the deaths and mayhem that roiled Paris in the Charlie Hebdo massacre and related assaults around the French capital by Islamic militant extremists less than a year ago.

An explosion near the sports stadium, which French news services said may have been a suicide bombing, came as Germany and France were playing a soccer match, forcing a hasty evacuation of Mr. Hollande. As the scope of the assaults quickly became clear, he convened an emergency cabinet meeting and announced that France was placing severe restrictions on its border crossings.

“As I speak, terrorist attacks of an unprecedented scale are taking place in the Paris region,” he said in a nationally televised address. “There are several dozen dead, lots more wounded, it’s horrific.”

Mr. Hollande said that on his orders the government had “mobilized all the forces we can muster to neutralize the threats and secure all of the areas.”

President Obama in Washington came to the White House Briefing room to express solidarity and offer aid and condolences. “Once again, we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians,” he said. “This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share.”


There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Twitter erupted with celebratory messages by members and sympathizers of the Islamic State, the extremist group based in Syria and Iraq that is under assault by major powers including the United States, France and Russia.


What Happened at Each Location

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