Student protesters blockade Louvre in Paris over 'police repression'

Student protesters blockaded the entrances to the Louvre Museum in Paris on Monday in support of the nationwide high-school student protest movement and to denounce what they described as “police repression”, AFP reported via Al Jazeera.

The museum could not open as scheduled because the protest was led by students from the Ecole du Louvre, management told AFP. A leaflet handed to visitors read: “We are proud to announce that we are blocking the world’s largest museum.” The Louvre said on X that “due to student strikes the museum is currently closed”.

The CFDT union said National School of Fine Arts students also joined, Anadolu Agency reported. Management said the protest was not directly Louvre-related, calling the museum an “echo chamber”. The CGT union, which backed but did not join the action, said it would remain closed at least until noon.

The blockade delayed opening past the usual 9am start, Le Parisien reported via TRT World. Protesters framed it as part of a broader struggle for the right to study, work and live freely in decent conditions — two days after weekend cost-of-living demonstrations marred by unrest across French cities.