The Louvre Museum said it would close for the day and evacuate all visitors and staff after receiving a written threat
go throughAssociated Press
October 14, 2023 8:08 am
Staff wait after the Louvre museum was evacuated on Saturday, October 14, 2023, in Paris. The Louvre museum said it would be closed for the day and all visitors and staff evacuated following the threat. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)
Associated Press
Paris– On Saturday, the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Palace of Versailles evacuated visitors and staff after receiving bomb threats. The French government has put France on high security alert after a suspected extremist was fatally stabbed at a school.
The Louvre’s communications department said no one was injured and no incident was reported. Paris police said they raided the museum after receiving a written bomb threat.
A spokesman for the national police said bomb threats had also been received at the former royal palace of Versailles. The spokesman said police were checking the area and the palace and its extensive gardens were being evacuated.
When the evacuation was announced, alarms sounded at the Louvre and in the underground shopping mall beneath its iconic pyramid. The Louvre is also a vast space in Paris’s former royal palace overlooking the Seine River.
Police cordoned off the monument and underpass from all sides as tourists and other tourists streamed out. Video posted online showed people leaving, some in a hurry, some stopping to take photos and some clearly confused by what was happening.
The French government raised the threat alert level and deployed 7,000 troops to bolster security after Friday’s school attack. French authorities say a former student suspected of Islamic radicalization killed a teacher and wounded three others before being arrested.
The government is also worried about the impact of a war between Israel and Hamas on France.
The Louvre, home to masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, receives 30,000 to 40,000 visitors every day.
