Full Breakdown
Eiffel Tower Strike Over Female Staff Removal During BAPS Visit
9/9/2026, 12:55:54 AM
Core Event: One-Day Closure After Women Were Asked to Step Aside
On September 5 2026, a delegation of about 100 members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) visited the Eiffel Tower. Union representatives said female employees were instructed to leave their workstations, be replaced by men, and avoid certain areas while the group was present. The protest led staff to walk out on September 7, closing the landmark for the day. Management and union talks resulted in a scheduled reopening on September 8 2026.
Background & Context
BAPS, a global Hindu socio-spiritual organization, was in Paris for the inauguration of a new stone temple on September 6 2026. The group requested that the Eiffel Tower visit be organised to limit “interactions with women.” The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) later acknowledged the request and said the conditions “should not have been accepted.”
Data & Statistics
- Approx. 100 BAPS delegates attended the Eiffel Tower visit.
- The Eiffel Tower receives roughly 7 million visitors each year.
- The Paris-area BAPS temple inauguration drew thousands of worshippers and a virtual address from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Official Statements & Responses
- SETE said the delegation’s request was inconsistent with its values and the principle of gender equality.
- Ariel Weil, SETE president, called the arrangement “clearly not an acceptable practice.”
- Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire announced an investigation, stating “it is urgent that all light be shed on the facts that led to this protest.”
Criticism & Opposition
- Diane Davoine, CGT union representative, described the instructions as “humiliating” to women.
- Yael Braun-Pivet, national assembly president, said, “In France, we do not ask women to step aside. No dogma, no religion is superior to the laws of the Republic.”
- Gabriel Attal, French prime minister, added, “In France, no culture, no belief, no religion, nothing and no one can come and dictate to women what their place should be.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
BAPS maintains that its coordination with the tower was logistical and that no request to exclude women was made. SETE, however, confirmed that the delegation asked for limited interaction with women and that the company accepted those conditions before later deeming them inappropriate. The precise chain of decision-making—who authorized the staff instructions and whether BAPS directly imposed them—remains unclear, pending the municipal investigation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is clearly not an acceptable practice.” — Ariel Weil, SETE president
- “It is urgent that all light be shed on the facts that led to this protest,” — Emmanuel Grégoire, Paris mayor
- “In France, we do not ask women to step aside. No dogma, no religion is superior to the laws of the Republic.” — Yael Braun-Pivet
What’s Next
Paris authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the request was handled and to prevent similar breaches of the Republic’s equality principles. SETE has pledged an internal review and said it will “draw the necessary conclusions.” The scheduled reopening on September 8 2026 will allow visitors to return while the inquiry proceeds.
