Eiffel Tower and the Louvre forced to close as Paris riots continue

Eiffel Tower and the Louvre forced to close as Paris riots continue
By Alexandra Coulton


Another weekend of rioting has left 71 injured and caused widespread damage in Paris, causing the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre to close.

Around 125,000 “yellow vest” protesters came up against 89,000 police on Saturday, with a list of demands related to the increasing cost of living, and the perception Macron favours the elite, according to the ABC. 

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France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire said the protests will have a “severe impact” on the country’s economy.

“We must expect a new slowdown of economic growth at year-end due to the ‘yellow vest’ protests,” he said, according to the ABC.

“It’s a catastrophe for business, it’s a catastrophe for our economy.”

Many fear the protests will affect tourism after last week’s reports that a number of French hotels and Air France experienced a drop in share prices.

The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre reopened on Sunday, along with a spate of galleries and shops.

Clean up efforts were complicated by rain overnight, as a range of private and civic bodies tried to clear the streets after protesters reportedly threw “anything they could at police and set whatever they could on fire” the ABC reported.

Other French cities also experienced protesting, including Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux with 135 people being injured nationwide, including 71 in Paris.

French president Emmanuel Macron will reportedly announce anti-crisis measures at a national address on Monday, local time amid rising pressure to propose new solutions to the problems addressed by the Yellow Vests.

The full extent of the economic damage to the city is still unclear, but the Parisien reports that 50 vehicles have been burned and dozens of businesses vandalised and looted, potentially costing as much as €10 billion by some estimates.

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