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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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France’s Eiffel Tower, the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world, has reopened to visitors after a staff strike triggered by the removal of female workers during a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
According to the company that runs the Parisian landmark, the 100-strong delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group had requested for "interactions with women" to be limited during its visit to the landmark on Saturday.
The company complied, with staff telling French news agency AFP that female employees were "instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present."
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Staff Felt "Humiliated" By "Overzealous" Managers
In an interview with Reuters, staff union representative Diane Davoine said that women on staff "were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there" and felt "humiliated" by the company’s decision. The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after workers launched a strike in protest of the move.
The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday after a meeting between SETE staff and management over the incident, Al Jazeera reported.
Ariel Weil, president of the Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel or SETE, the company operating the Eiffel Tower, said its managers were "a bit overzealous" in complying with the request without considering whether it was "inappropriate," as reported by the BBC.
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Hindu Group Apologized For "Any Inconvenience Caused"
In a post published on X, the Hindu group behind the delegation which visited the monument on the weekend, BAPS, said the trip was "arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others."
The group "nonetheless" apologized "for any pain or inconvenience caused”, adding that they are "deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others."
Newsweek contacted SETE for comment by email on Tuesday morning.
BAPS France, in response to a request for comment by Newsweek, sent a picture of the group’s visit to the Eiffel Tower showing the monument was operating as usual while they were there, with men, women and children present.
"To our knowledge, no visitor or member of staff was denied access to the monument at any point during our visit," the group said in a press release shared with Newsweek.
The group did not confirm nor deny whether it requested SETE to limit interactions with women during its visit to the tower.
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Investigation Launched Into The Incident
Talking to French broadcaster Franceinfo on Tuesday, Weil, who is also the mayor of Paris’ central district, described the incident as "totally shocking and unacceptable." He has maintained he was unaware of the instructions given by Eiffel Tower’s managers on the day of the Hindu delegation’s visit.
He said the company has launched an internal investigation into the incident "to determine who is responsible," with an answer expected "in the coming days," as reported by the French broadcaster.
"We will determine who gave instructions to modify the Eiffel Tower’s visitor reception protocol" and ensure "above all that this never happens again," Weil said.
Political Condemnation
The incident sparked condemnation across the political spectrum.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of France’s National Assembly and a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist camp, said in a social media post: "I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors."
France’s hard-right leader Marine Le Pen, who said she will run for the presidency next year, wrote in a post on X: "In France, we will never accept that the presence of women be ‘limited’."
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, said: "I am taking note of the anger expressed by the employees of the Eiffel Tower, and I want to tell them that their discontent is legitimate," adding, "it is not acceptable that such conditions can be tolerated."
Former center-right French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who said he will also run for the presidency in 2027, wrote on X: "In France, no culture, no belief, no worship, nothing nor anyone can come to dictate to women their place."
What Is BAPS?
"BAPS" is a Hindu group within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, which worships and follows the teachings of founder Sahajanand Swami, better known as Swaminarayan.
BAPS is one of the world’s largest Hindu organizations, with temples and followers across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, including London’s Neasden Temple and Los Angeles’ Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills.
The group follows a branch of Hinduism known as the Swaminarayan tradition. Its teachings emphasize devotion to God, personal discipline, family values, service to others, and moral living. Followers are encouraged to avoid habits such as alcohol, tobacco and drugs, while practising daily prayer, volunteer work and community service.
Like other traditional religious organizations, BAPS often separates men and women during worship and religious events. The Hindu group has said the practice is rooted in religious tradition and is intended to promote concentration and modesty, rather than suggest one gender is superior to the other.
BAPS consecrated its first major Hindu temple in France on Sunday, in Bussy-Saint-Georges, near Paris.
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Update 9/9/26, 4:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a comment from BAPS France and a new image.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward Pearcey and Tony Phillips.
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