Eiffel Tower closed due to strike over alleged removal of female staff for religious group

The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday, September 7, 2026, due to a staff strike protesting the alleged sidelining of female employees during a visit by a Hindu religious group. Workers claimed that women were asked to leave their posts, stay out of sight in back rooms, or were replaced by male colleagues to accommodate a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) on Saturday, September 5, 2026. Staff unions condemned these instructions as gender-based discrimination and a violation of principles of equality.

The operating company of the Eiffel Tower (SETE) acknowledged that the BAPS delegation had requested limitations on interactions with women and admitted that these conditions should not have been accepted, stating they were not in line with the company's values. Both SETE and BAPS have issued apologies following the incident. French authorities, including Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, have launched an investigation into the matter, with widespread political condemnation of the alleged actions.

The iconic Parisian landmark reopened its doors to the public on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after the one-day closure. The controversy unfolded as the BAPS group was in Paris for a weekend of cultural and religious activities, including the inauguration of a new Hindu temple in a nearby suburb.