Mona Lisa off limits as Paris museums shut amid protest fears

On Saturday, disappointed tourists leaned in to look through the Louvre’s locked gates, shut off from the Mona Lisa as art spaces and museums throughout Paris closed preventatively ahead of new protests.

The shutdowns occurred seven days following countrywide protests regarding inflation and crumbling infrastructure which plunged the country into the most intense rioting and clashes that France has seen in years.

The violence and damage triggered the government to enact regional curfews and close public spaces ahead of Saturday demonstrations. The shutdown extended most of the capital’s cultural sector including the Orangerie, Jeu de Paume and Picasso museums. On the other hand, the entire Tuileries Gardens Complex that the passage leads out of the Louvre was blocked off.

In this connection, Canadian Don Nowschuk said: “ We wanted to at least see the pyramid.”

“There is so much ⁠security that you would think it would be enough to secure the museum,”

“It's a bit weird to see so many cops with ​guns around Paris. We are used to guns but not like this, he continued,”

The shake-up also hit the arts performing sector, and the Paris Opera ceased operations, closing both the Palais Garnier and the Opera Bastille citing security considerations for staff and audiences.

Furthermore, the cultural centres posted warnings about the closures on Friday but some people did not bother to check.