CNN reports that the strike abruptly took place during a routine meeting. Gallery attendants, ticket agents and security refused to work in protest over uncontrollable crowds, understaffing and what was referred to by a union as an “untenable” working environment. No additional details were revealed.

The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty and endurance, remained shuttered Monday — not by war, not by terror, but by its own exhausted staff, who say the institution is crumbling from within.

The Louvre Museum has failed to open on time Monday, leaving thousands of visitors stuck in long, unmoving lines