Paris: The Louvre and several other major Paris museums will be closed on Saturday over concerns about potential violence during planned protests, France's culture ministry said.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the ministry said the Orsay and Picasso museums were also among those that will close.
Protests last Saturday devolved into mayhem, with rioters setting fires, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police. The ministry called on all institutions under its authority to adopt any necessary measures to ensure “visitor safety, staff protection and the preservation of artworks,” according to the statement.
Others are taking the same tack. After two days when admission was invite-only, Art Basel Paris opened to the public on Friday — but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers on Thursday to cancel the weekend program.
Paris' Grand Palais is hosting 211 international galleries and their exhibitions for Art Basel, considered one of the world's most prestigious contemporary art fairs.
“It's kind of like the art Olympics,” New York-based artist Drake Carr, who is showing his work with Mariposa Gallery, said in an interview.
However, timing proved unfortunate, with the French capital gripped by social tension. The clashes and widespread looting over the weekend marked France's most violent unrest in years.
A protest on Thursday afternoon in Paris was peaceful, and Art Basel's organizers announced the decision to close for the weekend around the same time. The protest planned for Saturday is expected to be much larger.
"This decision has not been taken lightly, and the safety of everyone involved in the fair remains our utmost priority," organizers said in a statement. Its website posted a similar announcement and said weekend ticketholders would be contacted.
Saloni Doshi, an art collector who travelled to Paris from India for the fair, grew worried last Saturday as she saw the fires and panicked people, and she received phone calls from friends asking whether Paris was safe. She agreed with the organizers' rationale to close.
“It's hard that something like this has to happen, but state activities and people's freedom have to continue,” she told the AP. “I cannot imagine that a bunch of elite, privileged people getting inconvenienced because of this should have a voice.”
Antoine Donzeaud and Elisa Rigoulet, the owners of the gallery exo exo, felt the same.
“We understand this decision, which we consider reasonable and consistent with the urgency of the social demands currently unfolding in France,” they said in a text message.
Businesses, cultural events and museums planned to close at the weekend despite curbs on demonstrations as French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to restore order a week after nationwide protests turned violent.
France's main student union, UNEF, has called for rallies on Saturday (October 23), while the Yellow Vest movement, an anti-establishment force that emerged in 2018, filed plans this week for a march through central Paris.
Macron was due to meet student representatives later on Friday to discuss their plans but UNEF said their rallies, which grew from high school protests last month against teacher shortages and shabby facilities, would go ahead.
"Macron is trampling upon the freedom to protest in our country, and is spitting on the values of the republic he claims to defend," the union said in an emailed statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that demonstrations not organized by trade unions will be banned in the coming days, particularly on Saturday, as France looks to get on top of a wave of violent unrest seen across the nation.
Under the new directives, union-led marches permitted by authorities may be subject to rerouted paths to protect downtown businesses and public institutions.
Macron said that the government recommends that no demonstrations be held across the country in the coming days, and the government will have dialogue with all protesting parties on their demands.
The stricter measures followed nationwide demonstrations held last Saturday that were marred by severe violent clashes in multiple cities, with criminal damage to many buildings and looting being reported.
Following the initial round of protests, some labor unions and student organizations have scheduled the next wave of major national protests for Nov 5, while other protesters plan fresh demonstrations on Saturday.