PARIS — The Eiffel Tower was closed Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, after staff went on strike over female workers being moved during a private Saturday visit by a Hindu religious delegation, workers and management said.

About 100 people linked to Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) toured the landmark on Saturday. The group consecrated its first major temple in France on Sunday in the Paris suburbs. Staff union representative Diane Davoine told Reuters that as the delegation arrived, women were told to leave their workstations so men could be placed there. Management has since apologized, she said, but employees — women especially — felt humiliated. Staff met Monday to open a dialogue with management and to ensure women are never treated that way again.

Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), which operates the monument, confirmed to AFP that the delegation asked for the visit to limit “interactions with women.” SETE said those conditions “should not have been accepted” and were “not in line with SETE’s values, nor with the principles of equality between men and women.” SETE president Ariel Weil called the practice clearly unacceptable and restated the tower’s commitment to republican values and equality of men and women.

In a statement on X, the BAPS temple in Paris said the trip was arranged with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disrupting others, apologized “for any pain or inconvenience caused,” and said the group believes in mutual respect and service. On its website, BAPS describes itself as a spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship dedicated to improving society through Hindu values, with temples in cities including London, Los Angeles, and Sydney.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said there would be an investigation and that employees’ discontent was legitimate: equality between women and men “must be applied everywhere, for everyone,” including at historical monuments. French hard-right leader Marine Le Pen said France would never accept that the presence of women be “limited.” Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said no culture, belief, or worship can dictate to women their place. National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet said she refused to allow women to be compelled to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors.

A sign at the site said the opening was delayed for “operational reasons,” Reuters reported. The tower’s website cited “exceptional circumstances” and told ticket holders to check their email. The clash — private religious accommodation meeting a public workplace bound by French equality rules — is what emptied the monument on Monday.

Sources