Visitors hoping to see the Mona Lisa on Monday morning found the doors of the Louvre closed to them. Protesters blocked the entrances to the Paris museum, the most visited in the world, as anger over rising prices continued to grip France after a weekend of some of the worst street violence the country has seen in years. Museum management and unions said the action was led by students from the Ecole du Louvre. The school is a higher education institution that teaches art history and archaeology. The students said they wanted to back the school protests happening across France and speak out against the way police have used force. A leaflet posted outside the museum declared with pride that the students were blocking the world's largest museum. Louvre museum shuts on Monday as protestors block doors. (Image: AP) The group chanted, played music from a speaker and waved the flag of the CGT, a trade union that represents some Louvre staff. One banner, written in English, said that French public services were falling apart. The timing added extra weight to the protest. Monday marked exactly one year since the theft of the museum's crown jewels. The closure also affects a huge number of people. On its busiest days, more than 20,000 people visit the Louvre, and it welcomed more than 9 million visitors last year. On Saturday, about half a million people marched across the country. According to the interior minister, 110 marches took place nationwide, including one in Paris that drew 110,000 people. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said that more than 2,330 people had been taken into police custody over the weekend, and that 70% of them were adults. The national arrest count came close to the nearly 2,000 arrests made on a single day of Yellow Vest protests in December 2018. Darmanin said security services handle terrorism and organised crime well, but are weaker when dealing with ultra-left protesters. vre museum shuts on Monday as protestors block doors. (Image: AP) Businesses have been hit hard. More than 2,000 shops are thought to have been damaged, and the head of the chamber of commerce, Alain Di Crescenzo, put the cost in the hundreds of millions of euros. Travellers in Paris this week should check opening times with museums and attractions before setting out, allow extra time to reach the airports, stay away from protest areas, and follow updates from local authorities and their own embassies. Travel News - Find latest news and tips based on Indian and World travel including top 10 travel destination, tourism information, how to reach visit and more at Times Now. Senior Copy Editor at Times Network, Akanksha Arora covers Lifestyle, Culture and everything that falls under its big umbrella. When not writing, she ... View More