Posted on 05/22/2015 7:12:50 AM PDT by george76
Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower was shut to tourists on Friday as staff walked off the job to protest a surge in gangs of pickpockets roaming around the monument.
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They said they wanted "formal guarantees from management that lasting and effective measures will be taken to end this scourge to which numerous tourists fall victim every day".
One of the striking workers told AFP that pickpockets "form a gang of 4 to 5 people ... sometimes there can be around 30"... the pickpockets sometimes "fight among themselves".
Another worker said he had been threatened while chasing away a pickpocket. "He said to me 'why don't you let us work ... if this continues you will have problems',"
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The closure of one of the busiest tourist attractions in the French capital, ahead of a long weekend, follows a similar strike at the Louvre museum in 2013 when staff protested over often violent pickpockets stalking the halls of the palace.
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After complaints about muggings and attacks on Chinese tourists, last year the French interior ministry recruited Chinese police to help patrol tourist destinations in Paris.
(Excerpt) Read more at radioaustralia.net.au ...
coming to a monument near you
Gibmedats in Gay Paree too, at least they "work" for their theft.
“last year the French interior ministry recruited Chinese police to help patrol tourist destinations in Paris.”
Oh this wont open an ugly door, will it?
I am sure that many others will disagree. Until radio broadcasts, TV broadcasts and particularly cell-phone usage, which all required high antennas, let’s face the truth: Other than an obvious tourist trap, the Eiffel Tower was the most useless engineering project the world has ever seen.
Leave the Parisites alone!
I think I read that the Eiffel Tower structure was originally supposed to be covered.
It’s iron work has become “iconic”.
In Prague there is a replica made out of railway parts. Hitler thought it was ugly (and maybe reminded him of France) and he ordered it torn down. It never was. I believe he could see it from the Castle or some other place he’d taken over.
I’m glad the staff are finally standing up to this, it’s been a problem for a long time. If anyone has ever been to Eiffel Tower, you know that groups of gypsies and north Africans are all around there preying on the tourists. It’s very annoying and been going on for years. I, for one, am happy the staff around there have finally had enough.
I have always thought radio-controlled small explosive charges would be effective deterrents to this kind of thing.
My Brother-in-Law had his wallet stolen on the Paris Subway.
A few days later the American Embassy notified him that the Paris cops had recovered it. They must have caught them quickly as the money was still in it.
I think you a really on to something here. Police decoys could be carrying items in which are hidden small dye packs, much like the ones hidden in money handed over to bank robbers.
Also the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be dismantled after the Exposition.
It’s been a while since I’ve touristed in Paris (2007) but at that time the pickpockets were all gypsies and Bosnians - no exceptions. Saw them at Notre Dame, on the metro, etc. It was the same in Prague, Berlin and Vienna.
And here's the same perps as the last photo fleeing. Note the 2 facing the victim above are just behind (to the left & right) the one fleeing in white shoes in the center.
When I was there in the mid 90’s the gypsies were all over me. They don’t play. It was kind of scary. I was really glad to see the Gendarmes coming.
Too bad you can’t ‘carry’ in France. See a group of Gypsy kids approaching, pull out your piece, see them scatter.
Good for the employees, at first I thought they were protesting because they weren’t getting a cut.
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