The key facts

  • Students of the Louvre School blocked the museum entrance on October 19; the 9:00 opening did not take place
  • The action was in support of high school protests and against 'police repression'; CGT spoke of closure until at least noon
  • Over the weekend more than 2,330 people were detained and over 2,000 shops were affected — damage in the 'hundreds of millions of euros'

Museum blockade

On Monday, October 19, students blocked access to the Louvre in Paris in support of the ongoing high school student protests and against what they called 'police repression'. Because of the blockade, the museum was unable to open at its usual time — 9:00, the museum leadership and unions reported (according to Le Parisien and AFP). The action was led by students of the Louvre School (Ecole du Louvre), located on the museum's premises; the CFDT union reported that students of the National School of Fine Arts also took part. The CGT union, which supported the action without participating in it, stated that the museum would remain closed until at least noon. A leaflet outside the museum read: 'We are proud to announce that we are blocking the largest museum in the world.'

Management's position and context

The museum's management stated that the protest was not directly connected with the Louvre itself and that the museum was being used as a 'resonator'. Participants placed the blockade within a broader struggle for the right to study, work and live freely in decent conditions. The high school movement began in mid-September with protests against conditions in high schools across the country, but, according to euronews, grew into a broader range of demands, including the cost of living and inflation. The action took place two days after nationwide demonstrations against the rising cost of living, which were accompanied by riots in a number of French cities.

Weekend aftermath

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday that over the weekend more than 2,330 people were taken into police custody across the country, 70% of them adults. According to an estimate by the president of the trade chamber, Alain Di Crescenzo, more than 2,000 shops were expected to have been affected by violence over the weekend, with damage amounting to 'hundreds of millions of euros'.