# Eiffel Tower closes after female staff were ‘forced to hide’ when Hindu group visited

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/eiffel-tower-closes-after-female-staff-were-forced-to-hide-when-hindu-group-visited/
- Published: 2026-09-08T06:37:08+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-08T12:43:19+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16112541/Eiffel-Tower-closes-female-staff-forced-hide-Hindu-group-visited.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- Eiffel Tower closed a day after women staff were sidelined for Hindu group visit
- Staff struck in protest; tower reopened Tuesday after apology and talks
- French ministers and politicians across the spectrum condemned the incident

## Summary

The Eiffel Tower shut its doors for a full day after female staff walked out in protest over being told to "make themselves invisible" during a private visit by around 100 members of a Hindu delegation on Saturday. Staff union representative Diane Davoine said women were asked to leave their workstations so male colleagues could take their place, prompting an angry meeting on Monday morning at which employees demanded dialogue with management and guarantees the practice would never recur. The tower reopened on Tuesday morning, with the closure officially attributed to "operational reasons"; the operator has since apologised and management held talks with staff to resolve the dispute.

The delegation was in France for celebrations linked to the inauguration of a Hindu temple near Paris and is thought to have asked for "interactions with women" to be limited. SETE, the company running the landmark, said the conditions "were not in line with SETE's values, nor the principles of equality between men and women", with its president Ariel Weil calling the practice unacceptable and pledging to accept any consequences. The episode drew condemnation from senior French figures, including Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire, who promised an investigation, equality minister Aurore Berge, and presidential rivals Marine Le Pen and Gabriel Attal, all of whom insisted no religion or culture could dictate women's place in France.

## Coverage

- [Daily Mail: Eiffel Tower closes after female staff were ‘forced to hide’ when Hindu group visited](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16112541/Eiffel-Tower-closes-female-staff-forced-hide-Hindu-group-visited.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [BBC World: Eiffel Tower shut by staff protest after women moved for religious visit](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyenxp540vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.