Paris’ Louvre Museum temporarily waived its admission fee Wednesday after some 30 striking security guards blocked access to its ticket booths, the museum said.
The guards, who are demanding a pay raise, have been on strike since last Friday, the Louvre said in a statement. Strikers represent less than 5 percent of the museum’s 1,100 security guards, the statement said.
“At the Louvre, the strike has had quite a small following,” museum spokeswoman Veronique Petitjean said. “Because it’s had few repercussions, workers decided to block the booths.”
Strikers later moved away from the booths, and the entrance fee went back into effect on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite the strike, more than 90 percent of the Louvre’s galleries were open to the public Wednesday, the statement said.
The Louvre, a sprawling former royal palace in the heart of Paris, is one of France’s most popular tourist attractions. In 2006, it registered about 8.3 million visitors. Admission fees range from $7.87 to $17.