Visitors to the Louvre faced an unpleasant surprise on Monday, June 16th: staff members staged a sudden walkout, refusing to take up their posts in protest against working conditions that, they say, have become unbearable — largely due to overtourism and the massive crowds pouring daily into the world’s most popular museum.

Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a ten-year rescue plan to tackle the Louvre’s mounting challenges: leaky roofs, abrupt temperature fluctuations, aging infrastructure, and chronic overcrowding. But for the employees on the front lines, this plan feels far too distant to offer any immediate relief. “We can’t wait six years,” said staff member Sarah Sefian pointedly. “It’s not just about the art — it’s also about the people who protect it.”

The museum’s visitor numbers paint a striking picture. Last year alone, the Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors — more than double the capacity for which it was originally designed. Even with a daily limit of 30,000 guests, employees say that working at the Louvre has turned into a daily endurance test, especially during the summer when limited rest areas and bathrooms collide with stifling heat.

The situation reaches its peak at the museum’s most famous room: the Salle des États, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Each day, roughly 20,000 people squeeze into this single hall just to snap a quick photo of the masterpiece. “You don’t actually see the painting,” Ji-Hyun Park, a visitor from Seoul, Korea, told The Washington Post. “You see phones, elbows — and you feel the heat. And then they push you out.”