Louvre turns away tourists as Paris braces for renewed violence following destructive riots

Tourists were turned away from the Louvre Saturday as some of Paris’most iconic museumsremained shuttered amid fears of renewed violence a week after destructive riots erupted across France.

The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais were all shuttered Saturday as French officials prepared for another weekend of potentially violent demonstrations, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Visitors peered through the Louvre’s locked gates Saturday, where a posted notice announced its temporary closure.

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The museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s famed “Mona Lisa,” was among several major attractions closed amid fears of violent protests.

French officials planned to deploy up to 70,000 law enforcement officers nationwide on Saturday, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons, according to the AP.

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Visitors arriving at the Louvre Museum in Paris were met with locked gates Saturday as authorities tightened security after widespread unrest across France.(Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

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The closures came as protesters gathered across France on Saturday, with police rerouting Paris’ main demonstration away from the city center to prevent another outbreak of violence.

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Shopkeepers boarded upstorefronts across Paris, while police stood guard beneath the Arc de Triomphe as authorities braced for another round of unrest.

The Louvre and other major Paris museums remained shuttered Saturday as police rerouted the capital’s main demonstration away from the city center to reduce the risk of violence.(Guillaume Saligot/AFP via Getty Images)

The closures also disrupted Art Basel Paris, a major international art fair held at the Grand Palais.

It had opened to the public Friday before organizers canceled the weekend program over security concerns.

The precautions followed a weekend ofviolent demonstrationsthat left approximately 3,000 businesses across France damaged or looted, according to the AP.

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French authorities prepared helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons to support a nationwide security operation as demonstrators gathered across the country Saturday.(Nicolas Guyonnet/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

Visitors arriving at the Louvre Monday morning were met with barricades at the museum’s iconic glass pyramid, Carrousel du Louvre and Passage Richelieu entrances, as protesters from the École du Louvre blocked access, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The blockade forced museum officials to turn away visitors from thepopular attraction, which draws as many as 20,000 people on its busiest days, according to French media reports.

“You are giving Paris a terrible image.”

Earlier this week, tourists were left frustrated after being turned away from the Louvre, with one Dutch couple calling the closure “shameful,” according to French newspaper Le Monde.

“You are giving Paris a terrible image,” the couple said as they held up their tickets.

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The U.S.Embassy in France has warned Americans tosteer clear of violent protestsas widespread unrest prompted curfews and raised concerns about travel disruptions across the country.

The embassy said in a statement Monday that partial curfews had been introduced in several French cities, with additional restrictions possible.

The Louvre, one of the world’s most visited and prominent museums, has closed its doors as turmoil sweeps across Paris. (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Travelers visiting Paris this week were advised to avoid popular protest gathering spots, including Place de la République, Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation, along with major thoroughfares such as Boulevard Voltaire, which are frequently used for demonstrations, according to The Times of London.

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