Strike at the Eiffel Tower Over Religious Discrimination

Enric Bonet París 07/09/2026 a las 21:52h. The Eiffel Tower workers' strikes are a common occurrence in France. Employees frequently join national protests called almost annually by the country's unions and also step away from their posts to advocate for more specific demands, such as salary increases. Nonetheless, this Monday, the workers struck for a more unexpected reason: protesting against the discriminatory treatment faced by female staff at the renowned monument during the visit of a Hindu religious nationalist group. Last Saturday, the traditionalist Indian group Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) held a private visit on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. A representative of this organization requested that the Paris monument managers "limit interactions with women" during this event, held one day before the inauguration of a monumental Hindu temple in Bussy Saint-George, a town located about 30 kilometres east of Paris. The managers of this emblem of France agreed to this demeaning condition concerning women and removed all female staff from the second floor. This surreal decision outraged union representatives, who denounced that women were "made invisible." On Monday morning, the Eiffel Tower workers participated in a strike, leading to the closure of the world's most visited paid monument for several hours. "Some women were asked to leave their jobs and were excluded. In some cases, they were replaced by men. All female employees were ordered to avoid certain areas during the Indian delegation's visit," the workers stated in a communiqué. "It's a legitimate outrage" This discriminatory situation, alongside the compliance of the company managing the Eiffel Tower on behalf of the Paris City Hall, has sparked numerous reactions of indignation on social networks. "We cannot hide women, and we cannot make them disappear. We must respect them and defend their freedom," declared former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on X. "I am shocked," stated Paris region president Valérie Pécresse, who, on Sunday, had described the Hindu temple inauguration on the outskirts of the French capital as a "historic moment." Amid intensifying social media controversy, SETE—the company managing the Eiffel Tower on behalf of the Parisian council—asserted that "these conditions should not have been accepted and do not align with their values or gender equality." Paris' deputy mayor, socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, affirmed that "the workers' anger" at the monument "is legitimate" and called for "an internal investigation as swiftly as possible."