Louvre closed on account of pickpockets [View all]

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Source: The Guardian

The Louvre, the world's most visited museum, was forced to close on Wednesday after workers staged a walkout in protest over pickpockets. More than 100 staff stopped work to denounce raids by organised gangs which they said were growing in number and becoming "more aggressive", targeting both visitors and staff in the vast galleries.

The museum said in a statement that pickpocketing was a growing problem despite measures taken last year, including tighter co-operation with the police and temporary bans on people already identified as pickpockets from re-entering the museum. Late last year, the Louvre filed an official complaint to the state prosecutor over visitors falling victim to the thieves.

A union official said staff were afraid of organised gangs, which had become increasingly aggressive and included minors who could access the museum for free. Some complained of being spat at, insulted, threatened or kicked, saying thieves had become more violent.

The Louvre, which had 10 million visitors last year, would normally draw 30,000 a day at this time of year to see works including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/10/louvre-closed-pickpockets