Eiffel Tower Set to Reopen After Staff Protest Over Removal of Female Workers During BAPS Visit

PARIS | SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

The Eiffel Tower is set to reopen after staff staged a walkout over the treatment of female employees during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation, an incident that has prompted an official investigation and wider debate in France over workplace equality.

The controversy followed a weekend visit by around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). Union representatives said female employees were asked to leave or step away from some workstations as the delegation moved through the monument, with male colleagues taking their places.

The dispute escalated on Monday when employees met to raise concerns with management and demand assurances that similar instructions would not be repeated. The Eiffel Tower was subsequently closed, with visitors informed that opening had been delayed for operational reasons.

The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), which operates the landmark, later acknowledged that the delegation had requested arrangements intended to limit interactions with women. The company said those conditions should not have been accepted and indicated that the tower would reopen following discussions between staff and management.

Paris authorities have announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the visit. Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the concerns raised by employees were legitimate and called for the facts to be established quickly.

The incident also drew criticism from senior French political figures, who stressed that equal treatment of women and men is a fundamental principle in public life and the workplace.

BAPS said the visit had been organised at the start of normal opening hours because of the size of the delegation and to avoid disruption to other visitors. The organisation said that, to the best of its knowledge, nobody had been denied access to the Eiffel Tower, while also apologising for any pain or inconvenience caused by the incident.

The episode has placed fresh attention on how major public attractions handle requests from visiting groups when those requests may conflict with workplace equality standards. Staff representatives said their protest was aimed at ensuring that female employees are not sidelined or treated differently because of their sex.

The Eiffel Tower remains one of the world’s most visited landmarks and a prominent symbol of Paris. Its temporary closure highlighted how quickly an internal workplace dispute can become a national debate when questions of equality, religious accommodation and public-service standards intersect.

Sources: Reuters; Euronews. Updated September 8, 2026.