{"id":75705,"date":"2026-09-07T20:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T20:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/75705\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T20:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T20:15:20","slug":"paris-investigates-claim-women-were-hidden-from-hindu-delegation-at-eiffel-tower-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/75705\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris Investigates Claim Women Were Hidden From Hindu Delegation at Eiffel Tower"},"content":{"rendered":"

PARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Female employees at the Eiffel \u2060Tower \u2060were asked to step out \u2060of sight during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation at \u200bthe weekend, according to union representatives, prompting a staff protest and an investigation by Paris city \u200cauthorities.<\/p>\n

The monument was closed late \u200con Monday as employees held a meeting over the incident, which has angered staff \u2060and drawn criticism \u2060from French politicians.<\/p>\n

The dispute stems from a private visit on Saturday \u200bby a delegation of about 100 people linked to BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), a Hindu group whose representatives were in France for festivities related to the inauguration of a Hindu temple in \u200bthe Paris suburbs.<\/p>\n

“As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations \u2060so \u2060that men could take their \u2060places,” Diane \u200bDavoine, a union representative, told Reuters.<\/p>\n

“Tensions mounted over the weekend, so this morning, the \u200bemployees decided to meet: first, \u2060to open a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again,” she said.<\/p>\n

Signs at the base of the tower on Monday read: “The opening of the Eiffel Tower is delayed for operational reasons.”<\/p>\n

Davoine said management apologised \u2060to staff over the incident.<\/p>\n

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said that an investigation would \u2060be launched “as soon as possible”. In a post on social media platform X, he said that he was aware\u00a0of the employees’ anger and agreed their dissatisfaction was legitimate.<\/p>\n

“It is urgent that all light be shed on the facts that led to this protest,” Gregoire wrote.<\/p>\n

Spokespeople for BAPS and SETE, the company operating the monument, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I refuse to accept that women should be told to step aside to meet the demands of foreign \u2060visitors,” Yael Braun-Pivet, the president of the National Assembly, wrote in a post on X about the incident.<\/p>\n

“Welcoming others never means giving up our values. In France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become \u200binvisible,” she added.<\/p>\n

(Reporting by Lewis Macdonald, Clotaire Achi and Michaela Cabrera; Writing \u200bby Makini Brice; Editing by Ros Russell)<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.<\/p>\n

The Month in Photos: Sept. 2026<\/p>\n

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