Visitors walk under the Louvre Pyramid designed by Ieoh Ming Pei at the Louvre Museum in Paris on January 23, 2025. DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP
France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati on Sunday, October 19, reported a break-in at the Louvre in Paris, as the world-renowned museum said it was closing for the day. "A hold-up took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum," she wrote on X, using a French word that can also mean "robbery." "No injuries reported. I'm on site with museum staff and police," she added.
Dati's entourage told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that one or more criminals had broken into the museum but did not provide details on whether any art objects had been stolen. The Louvre said it was closing for the day "for exceptional reasons." The museum was not immediately available for comment.
According to a source close to the case cited by AFP, jewelry was stolen by several criminals who fled the scene. Initial findings place the incident between 9:30 and 9:40 am, with the value of the stolen goods currently being assessed. The thieves, whose number has not yet been disclosed, reportedly arrived on scooters and used a freight elevator to access the room they were interested in. They were equipped with small chainsaws, according to a police source.
