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No camera covered Louvre wall where jewel thieves broke in, director says
BBC ^ | 10/22/2025 | Paul Kirby, Dearbail Jordan

Posted on 10/22/2025 7:35:29 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

The Louvre failed to spot a gang of thieves early enough to stop the theft of €88m (£76m) worth of French crown jewels, the museum's director has revealed.

Laurence des Cars, speaking publicly for the first time since the heist on Sunday, told French senators that CCTV around the Louvre's perimeter was weak and "aging".

The only camera monitoring the exterior wall of the Louvre where they broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony that led to Gallery of Apollo housing the jewels, she said.

"We failed these jewels," she said, adding that no-one was protected from "brutal criminals - not even the Louvre".

Ministers have given press conferences and interviews and denied security failings, but des Cars cut through that and admitted the Louvre had been "defeated".

Her words gave an extraordinary insight into the difficulty of securing the world's most visited museum, and how bad its security really was.

The CCTV system outside the Louvre was "very unsatisfactory" she said and inside, some areas were simply too old to adapt to modern technologies.

Despite the museum's huge volume of visitors - 8.7 million last year alone - investment in security has been slow and she highlighted the budget challenges big institutions face.

Des Cars, who became director of the Louvre in 2021, said she wanted to double the number of CCTV cameras.

She said she was warned about how "obsolete" the equipment at the Louvre was when she took the job, in contrast to the modern equipment of the Musée d'Orsay, where she had worked previously.

Some of the senators she faced at Wednesday's hearing expressed incredulity at the Louvre's security, asking why there was just one camera - on the external wall facing the river - and why...

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; France
KEYWORDS: dearbailjordan; france; keywordkaren; louvre; paris; paulkirby; spammingfr
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1 posted on 10/22/2025 7:35:29 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Appears that the Louvre had a really big security problem. That’s hubris thinking that they would never get robbed.


2 posted on 10/22/2025 7:38:43 PM PDT by gildafarrell ("No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.")
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To: gildafarrell

“Des Cars was appointed to assume the role of Director of the Louvre Museum from 1 September 2021, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the establishment’s 228-year history.”


3 posted on 10/22/2025 7:43:53 PM PDT by simpson96
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

And someone noticed where the cameras were not viewing and recording.


4 posted on 10/22/2025 7:44:00 PM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I wonder if this was done to finance terrorism. I’m guessing in several countries there are even now covert shops making drone for a sudden multi-pronged attack. Maybe there’s other shops with women sewing up fabric on powered gliders.


5 posted on 10/22/2025 7:48:51 PM PDT by rottweiller_inc (Lupus urbem intravit. Fulminis ictu vultures super turrem exanimat.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I wonder if it was an inside job?


6 posted on 10/22/2025 7:56:43 PM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. 🎤 Father of USAF ISR pilot. ✈️ Aviation is in our DNA)
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To: gildafarrell

They had no security.

No one from the “Security Team” was armed and tried to stop them.

Their DEI security director probably would have hired the Uvalde cop that hid when he heard gunshots.

Hell when I retire maybe I will grab some French jewels if there are any left (doubtful)

or maybe the Mona Lisa since I know exactly how to be able to sell it thanks to this Dr Who episode (one of the better ones)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWgsrNhHNAA


7 posted on 10/22/2025 7:59:52 PM PDT by algore
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To: All

The Louvre's first female security chief, Dominique Buffin-----hired by the first female director----was hired .......not on merit....... but on DEI.

Their combined stupidity put France's national treasures at risk: the daring raid has humiliated France has also highlighted long-standing concerns about the security of the Louvre.

8 posted on 10/22/2025 8:05:49 PM PDT by Liz (To make a conservative mad, lie to him. To make a leftist mad, tell him the truth.)
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To: Mark17
I wonder if it was an inside job

Yep

9 posted on 10/22/2025 8:20:55 PM PDT by CapandBall
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I heard the Epstein prison surveillance company did the Louvre. Should have been secure.
(Kidding).


10 posted on 10/22/2025 8:32:13 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Inside job I’ll bet. They had help.


11 posted on 10/22/2025 8:38:22 PM PDT by Bullish (My tagline ran off with another man, but it's ok---- I wasn't married to it.)
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To: gildafarrell

Well their head of security was a DEI hire, so yeah.


12 posted on 10/22/2025 9:15:25 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Liz

I also read another article that says the put them in a more modern looking, but much less secure display case as well. Apparently, the old ones had much stronger glass and what sounds like some sort of trap door that would open and drop the contents into a safe if disturbed too much.


13 posted on 10/22/2025 9:30:12 PM PDT by matt04 ( )
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To: matt04

Sounds like a Bud Light, Jaguar, Cracker Barrel sister. 🙄


14 posted on 10/22/2025 9:43:44 PM PDT by madison10 (There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of philosophy.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Louvre Announces They Have Installed A Ring Camera
BabylonBee.com | The Babylon Bee
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4348067/posts


15 posted on 10/22/2025 10:14:21 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Making money now. Still want much more.)
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To: Mark17

I tend to think at least, some inside help to an external group.


16 posted on 10/22/2025 10:14:46 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Liz

DEI wokeness strikes again. They had 4 years to beef up security and did bupkis.


17 posted on 10/22/2025 10:15:41 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Mark17
"I wonder if it was an inside job?"

That's the first thing I said when the news of the theft first broke. Sure sounds like an inside job to me.

18 posted on 10/22/2025 11:02:17 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: matt04

........the stupid sisters put the valuable jewels in a
more “modern looking,” but much less secure display case...... ........


The stupids abandoned common sense to feed their own female egos.....
.........a hallmark of the vile, destructive feminist movement...............


19 posted on 10/23/2025 1:44:57 AM PDT by Liz (To make a conservative mad, lie to him. To make a leftist mad, tell him the truth.)
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To: Secret Agent Man; mass55th
I tend to think at least, some inside help to an external group.

Watch and see whose bank account swells up unexpectedly.

20 posted on 10/23/2025 1:55:01 AM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. 🎤 Father of USAF ISR pilot. ✈️ Aviation is in our DNA)
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