Louvre disrupted as staff vote to extend strike for second day

The labour dispute at the world’s most-visited museum has added to the woes of the institution and its under-fire director Laurence des Cars, two months after a spectacular robbery. 

After being closed by strike action on Monday – and for a weekly day off on Tuesday – hundreds of visitors queued up on Wednesday morning hoping to see the Louvre’s treasures.

As union activists blocked the main entrance and staff voted in favour of continuing their strike, patience wore thin, with some members of the crowd booing and whistling.

“It’s our right, and we are defending their rights too because they will be able to visit a museum in better conditions,” CGT union representative Christian Galanini told reporters when asked about the frustrations. 

At around midday, management announced that they would open up some of the museum’s 400 rooms, notably those containing its best-known works, such as the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo. 

The strike comes as des Cars and her predecessors face intense scrutiny over the running of the institution after an embarrassing daylight robbery in October that saw thieves make off with jewels worth US$102 million. 

Investigations since have revealed that multiple security audits over the last decade had revealed vulnerabilities at the building, while CCTV and security equipment has been found to be sub-standard.

Former director Jean-Luc Martinez defended his approach to security during a hearing at the Senate on Tuesday, while des Cars is set to be questioned again later on Wednesday.