by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:35 AM ET, Wed May 29, 2019
A protest from employees at the Louvre Museum in Paris caused the historical monument to be closed to tourists Monday.
According to NPR.com, members of the Louvre's security and reception staffs walked off the job, with union representatives saying the museum is "suffocating" due to a 20 percent surge in visitors since 2009 and a decline in staff.
The Sud Culture Solidaires Union said the situation is "untenable."
In 2018, an estimated 10.2 million people visited the facility last year, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. While the number of visitors has skyrocketed, the number of employees dropped from 2,161 to 2,005 between 2009 and 2018.
The overcrowding makes lines to get in the facility long and space inside the French museum crowded, which results in impatient visitors. The abundance of visitors can also cause much more serious issues, such as the lack of an adequate evacuation plan.
"What to say about visiting conditions when people are confronted with noise, trampling, crowds, extreme fatigue and the total inadequacy of museum facilities at such a high volume of visitors?" a union spokesperson told NPR. "The Louvre does not have the means of its ambitions."
Louvre employee and union representative Pierre Zinenberg said the renovation work around the Mona Lisa has resulted in organizational problems and massive lines.
While the museum was closed Tuesday as it is weekly, the Louvre also opened late Wednesday due to a general meeting attended by members of reception and security staff.
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