The Eiffel Tower suspended operations due to a scandal

Not only the monument's employees are outraged, but politicians are as well.

Female employees of the Eiffel Tower were asked over the weekend to leave the line of sight before the arrival of a Hindu religious delegation. This led to a scandal, the BBC reports. Not only the monument's employees are outraged, but politicians are as well. In France, no one can tell women to make themselves invisible, said the head of the National Assembly.

On Saturday, the Paris landmark was visited by a group of about 100 people associated with the Hindu organization Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).

“When the delegation passed by, the women were asked to leave their workplaces so that men could take their places,” Diana Davouin, a trade union representative, told Reuters.

“Over the weekend, tensions intensified, so this morning the employees decided to gather: first, to establish a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way in the company again,” she said.

On Monday, the monument was closed. “The opening of the Eiffel Tower has been postponed for operational reasons,” notices at the bottom stated. Employees held a meeting about the incident, which not only caused outrage among the staff but also prompted criticism from French politicians.

Davouin said that management had apologized to the employees, while the mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, wrote on X that he understood the employees' outrage. He promised to conduct an investigation. “The facts that led to this protest must be brought to light as soon as possible,” the mayor said.

The BAPS association, whose representatives were in France for celebrations marking the opening of a Hindu temple in a Paris suburb, said that the Eiffel Tower visit had been arranged for the morning so that the large delegation would not disturb other visitors.

“As far as we know, no one was prevented from accessing the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused,” the statement said. “We believe in universal human values—mutual respect and service to people.”

The head of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, wrote on X:

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

The head of the far-right political party National united, Marine Le Pen, said: “In France, we will never accept women’s presence being ‘restricted.’”

SETE, the company that manages the Eiffel Tower, confirmed that the delegation had asked for the visit to be organized in such a way as to minimize “contact with women,” AFP reports.

The company told the agency that “such conditions should not have been accepted” because they “did not correspond either to SETE’s values or to the principles of equality between men and women.”

“This is unquestionably an unacceptable practice. I reaffirm the Eiffel Tower’s commitment to republican values and the principle of equality between men and women,” said SETE head Ariel Weil.

On its website, BAPS describes itself as “a spiritual community of volunteers striving to improve society” based on Hindu values. The organization has opened large temples in the world’s largest cities, including London, Los Angeles, and Sydney.