Louvre reopens partially after workers extend strike in aftermath of heist

Some areas of the world’s most visited museum were not accessible to the public on Wednesday due to the strike.Published On 17 Dec 2025The Louvre management has said the landmark Paris museum was partially reopened on Wednesday amid an ongoing strike by workers in the wake of purportedly difficult conditions after the stunning jewel heist in October.“The museum is open, but some areas are not accessible due to the industrial action,” a spokeswoman said.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3How have India’s exports jumped 20 percent, despite Trump’s trade war?list 2 of 3South Africa to deport Kenyans involved in US-Afrikaner refugee schemelist 3 of 3Morocco launches nationwide emergency relief after floods kill dozensend of listThe world’s most visited museum also confirmed the partial reopening in the morning on social media, saying some rooms are closed due to strike action.Hundreds of tourists lined up outside the Louvre on Wednesday as its opening was delayed while unions voted on continuing a strike over working conditions.The museum had closed its doors to thousands of disappointed visitors on Monday after workers went on strike and protested outside the entrance. The museum is routinely closed on Tuesdays.“We don’t know yet if we’ll open. You have to come back later,” security guards told visitors hoping to enter the museum early in the morning.Union representatives of the 2,200-strong workforce have said they had warned for years before the daylight robbery in October about staff shortages and disrepair inside the place where world-famous works like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa are kept.The vote by the employees on Monday to observe a strike, which was extended on Wednesday, came after the staff expressed their anger at the museum’s management and said conditions have deteriorated after the heist.They have also found the measures proposed by Ministry of Culture officials, including cancelling planned cuts in 2026, to be insufficient to cancel the strike so far.