Shock has turned to anger in Paris as particulars in regards to the Louvre Museum’s gaps in safety begin to emerge after “priceless” jewels had been stolen in a brazen daytime housebreaking.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
French police are nonetheless in search of the culprits two days after thieves stole thousands and thousands of {dollars}’ price of jewels in a brazen daytime heist on the world’s most-visited artwork museum.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
In the meantime, shock is popping to anger because the French uncover the massive gaps in safety at their beloved Louvre Museum.
MARTIN: We go now to NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley to listen to extra. Eleanor, good morning.
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: Would you simply remind us of what occurred? I imply, this – jeez, it seems like a film.
BEARDSLEY: Yeah, it does. Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. in broad daylight, a shifting truck with a ladder on the again pulled as much as a sidewalk subsequent to a wing of the museum. Two males climbed as much as the second-floor balcony and pried open the window to enter the gallery. Now, they weren’t sporting masks and catsuits. That they had on yellow reflective vests. They had been disguised to appear like abnormal upkeep staff. And as soon as inside, a Louvre employee really filmed the again of one of many males, and he was reducing open one of many glass instances with a spherical electrical noticed. The lads stole the royal jewels – crowns, tiaras, necklaces – principally from the Nineteenth-century period of Emperor Napoleon III. They got here out the identical window and sped away on scooters pushed by their accomplices, who had been ready for them.
MARTIN: Do the police, do the authorities have any concept who this is likely to be?
BEARDSLEY: No, no concept who did it. Final night time, the prosecutor put out an announcement and stated nothing is being dominated out. They do assume it was a well-organized gang. There could possibly be overseas interference. Probably somebody very wealthy might have ordered the heist. Seemingly not as a result of these jewels can’t be displayed or resold of their authentic kind. They’re too recognizable. However time is of the essence right here as a result of the thieves will possible dismantle them, soften down the gold and promote the whole lot individually, and part of French historical past and tradition might be misplaced without end.
MARTIN: So what will we find out about how this occurred, I imply, in regards to the safety on the museum?
BEARDSLEY: Effectively, we’re discovering out simply how missing the safety is on the world’s most-visited artwork museum. In response to a French authorities inner report out final 12 months, the museum was approach behind on issues like video surveillance. For instance, greater than half the rooms in a number of the most-visited wings haven’t any video surveillance in any respect. Additionally, there was a query in regards to the alarm of the wing damaged into. It went off, however not once they broke in. It was as they had been leaving. And by the way in which, the job took lower than eight minutes. And there is rising anger in France as a result of folks really feel violated. These jewels belong to all of the French folks. And right here is Pierre-Jean Chalencon. He is a prime Napoleonic-era collector himself, who knew these jewels properly.
PIERRE-JEAN CHALENCON: No safety. No policeman. No digital camera. It is a joke. It is actually a joke. And I believe the director and the folks accountable for the Louvre Museum ought to get out of the job.
MARTIN: So I take it the museum is closed. Any concept when it would reopen?
BEARDSLEY: It’s closed. I used to be on the market yesterday, and there have been nonetheless tons of of individuals making an attempt to, like, go searching and see – taking a look at that window and the whole lot, which is boarded up. It is more likely to open tomorrow, and that is additionally when the top of the Louvre might be grilled by a Senate fee on tradition presided by centrist Senator Laurent Lafon. And right here he’s talking on the radio this morning.
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LAURENT LAFON: (Talking French).
BEARDSLEY: He stated “we want explanations on what occurred. Did the alarm go off? Have been there video cameras? How lengthy did it take Louvre personnel to react?” , there’s numerous scrutiny about Louvre safety guards and personnel, although their first job is to guard the general public and get them out of hurt’s approach, which they did. The staff really went on strike final 12 months over poor working situations. And this 12 months, in January, Macron introduced an enormous improve of the Louvre to make it, you realize, trendy, in keeping with safety and, you realize, worldwide tourism and to provide the “Mona Lisa” its personal room, however that will not start that work till 2031. How will we defend these valuable artworks till then?
MARTIN: That’s NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley. Eleanor, thanks.
BEARDSLEY: Thanks, Michel.
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