Louvre and Paris Museums to Close for Saturday Protests

The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and Musée Picasso are set to close Saturday as French authorities prepare for planned demonstrations and seek to protect visitors, staff and artworks. Art Basel Paris has also ended its public programme early, closing for the weekend after opening to the public on Friday. France’s Culture Ministry asked institutions under its authority to take necessary safety measures, according to its statement. The closures come after demonstrations the previous weekend included fires, looting and clashes with police. The Louvre had also shut briefly on Monday after students blocked its entrance. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday that 70,000 police officers and gendarmes would be deployed across France for the protests. The figure was his announced nationwide deployment, as authorities prepared for demonstrations in multiple cities. Art Basel Paris organizers announced Thursday that the fair’s public programme would end early. The event, held at the Grand Palais and featuring 211 international galleries, opened to the public Friday following two days of invitation-only access. Its planned Saturday and Sunday programme was canceled, ending public access...