Long live the resistance!
Descendants of the family of famed 19th-century Eiffel Tower architect Gustave Eiffel are opposing the idea of Paris keeping the newly installed Olympic Rings at the global landmark because of their appearance. Locals and tourists alike support the sentiment.
While the city of love famously – and in some cases infamously – hosted the summer games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed interest in keeping their giant, living symbol of worldwide sport on display until the 2028 Los Angeles games or maybe even longer.
The rings are located between the two lower levels of the tower overlooking the Seine River.
Each year, the monument erected in 1889 by Eiffel — he also designed the Statue of Liberty — draws 7 million tourists a year, three-quarters of whom are foreigners, according to the tower’s website.
It is the most visited monument in the world.
The Eifel family, poised to take legal action according to CBS, “oppose any changes that negatively affect respect for the work” and want the rings removed by the end of 2024.
In particular, his family – organized as l’Association des Descendants du Gustave Eiffel (ADGE) regrets that the rings are “colorful, large in size, located on the main approach to the tower”.
They added that it “creates a strong imbalance” and is “substantially modifying the very clean forms of the monument”.
In other words, rings are what a bumper sticker would be to a Rolls Royce.
ADGE said in a translated statement that its facade must also remain open so that it can support righteous causes as they come – such as supporting Ukraine against Russia – “as it has regularly done in the past”.
CNN asked tourists and Parisians how they felt about the remaining rings, and the unanimous feeling was that this should be a short-term effort. An English-speaking woman called them “eyesore”.
As the summer games brought over 11 million global tourists to Paris, ADGE says it’s time to move on as well.
“Our association intends to continue asserting its position in the name of the moral duty it has towards the work of Gustave Eiffel.
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Image Source : nypost.com