On Saturday morning, the Louvre Museum in Paris was evacuated and closed after receiving bomb threats.
For its visitors, things seemed to go haywire as the iconic museum – as well as the underground shopping center beneath the inverted glass pyramid – were quickly evacuated. The museum’s website and various social media handles published an alert message saying “For security reasons, the Musée du Louvre is closing its doors today, Saturday, October 14. Those who have booked a visit during the day will be reimbursed. Thank you for your understanding.” Louvre officials confirmed that no one was hurt during the evacuation process; furthermore, police are further searching the location.
France has been on high alert since a man killed a teacher and injured three others on October 13th. The incident occurred in the northern city of Arras. Since the incident, the country has been in a state of panic. By Monday, the government had deployed over 7000 troops across the country. The threat level has also been raised to “attack emergency”, which grants the French government the power to deploy military troops in civilian areas. Many are linking the bomb threat at the Louvre with this recent incident. The Palace of Versailles, located near the museum, was also closed off after the threat.
It must be noted that the evacuation was easier due to the reduced footfall at the museum. Earlier this year, the Louvre had announced to set a limit of 30,000 visitors per day – supposedly to provide better services to the visitors. However, many suspected that it was due to incidents like the cake thrown at Mona Lisa last year. Before the pandemic, the Louvre easily saw 45,000 visitors every day.
