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Sad tourists sent home as Eiffel tower closes amid workers strike

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

So Ari, how much do you know about French history?

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Well, you know, I spend most of my time thinking about the Roman Empire, but I do know a bit about the French.

SUMMERS: Well, then you must know what today is.

SHAPIRO: Obviously, you're referring to the 100th anniversary of the death of Gustave Eiffel, the creator and namesake of the Eiffel Tower, or Eiffel Tower. And in his honor, organizers had planned a day of events and celebration to be held at the monument. But...

SUMMERS: But the Eiffel Tower, which is typically open 365 days a year and draws around 6 million visitors annually, was closed today as union workers at the tower went on strike ahead of contract negotiations with the city, citing complaints about poor management.

SHAPIRO: So instead of climbing to the top of the tower for that perfect selfie, tourists had to pack up and escargot home.

SUMMERS: That's right. They had two baguette lost until, well, whenever the strike is over. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Michael Levitt
Michael Levitt is a news assistant for All Things Considered who is based in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science. Before coming to NPR, Levitt worked in the solar energy industry and for the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C. He has also travelled extensively in the Middle East and speaks Arabic.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.