Eiffel Tower closes during workers' protest

(Image credit: Graham Chadwick/Allsport/Getty Images)

last updated 22 May 2015

The Eiffel Tower was closed to the public on Friday during a protest against petty crime at the landmark. Normally, the tower is open 365 days a year.

Workers from the company that manages the Eiffel Tower said the site has recently seen an increased number of pickpockets. The protest comes a day after Paris authorities said that Paris crimes against tourists are down because of increased surveillance, The Associated Press reports.

According to Paris authorities, pickpocketing was down 23 percent in January through April 2015 from the same period last year. But staff members who work at the Eiffel Tower believe too many tourists are being robbed at the site. BBC News reports that workers claim pickpocketing "gangs" have threatened to assault them, and the workers are asking for a permanent police presence at the site.