The Backlash Over Keeping Olympic Rings on Eiffel Tower

As much as the French capital reveled in the celebratory air of the Olympics this summer, many are less than thrilled to discover Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s plan to keep the iconic Olympic rings on France’s most iconic monument even after the Games.

“The decision is up to me, andI have the agreement of the [International Olympic Committee] . So yes, theywill stay on the Eiffel Tower,” Hidalgo said in an interview published in Ouest-France on Saturday. She told the news outlet that, thanks to the Olympics, the French “have fallen in love with Paris again” and that she wanted “this festive spirit to remain.”

Hidalgo’s plan to permanently alter the facade of the Eiffel Tower has sparked opposition from heritage conservation advocates, her peers, and even the family of the monument’s architect Gustave Eiffel. 

The Association of Descendants of Gustave Eiffel, consisting of about 70 living descendants of the architect, said in a press release cited by French media on Sunday that “it does not seem appropriate to us” that the Eiffel Tower, a historical symbol of Paris and France, “should be added to the symbol of an external organization in a lasting way, whatever its prestige.”

Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower was initially meant to be dismantled after 20 years. But the structure was retained after Eiffel suggested that it be used for a variety of scientific purposes, including meteorological research and optical telegraph communications. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991.

Olivier Berthelot-Eiffel, president of the descendants group, told AFP that while they “don’t see any problem” with the Olympic rings staying on the tower “a little longer” after the Paralympic Games, which conclude on Sunday, “the Eiffel Tower is not intended as an advertising antenna.” He added that Hidalgo should have consulted the Paris Council and other experts about such a decision.

Meanwhile, heritage conservation group SOS Paris accused Hidalgo of trying to leave her personal legacy on the iconic architecture. “Using the most famous monument in France to establish one’s dogma and remind the whole world, forever, that Anne Hidalgo made the 2024 Olympics, is going really far,” the group posted Sunday on X. 

Read more: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo Has a Lot Riding on the 2024 Olympics

Even for Hidalgo, there are a few issues still to be ironed out. She said that the current Olympic rings attached to the Eiffel Tower, which are too heavy to permanently withstand winter weather conditions, will need to be replaced with lighter replicas from the same manufacturer. She also said that the city would have to think of a way to conceal the rings when needed, to protect it from breaching the Olympics’ political neutrality rules. (Last year, the tower was lit up with customized colors and messages in shows of solidarity with women’s rights protesters in Iran and a warring Ukraine.)

A Change.org petition opposing the move to keep the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower was started on Sunday and has garnered thousands of signatures as of Monday. “Once the party time is over, our emblematic monument must return to its natural state,” it reads.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who unsuccessfully ran against Hidalgo for mayor in 2020, also weighed in on Sunday: “The Eiffel Tower is a protected monument, the work of an immense engineer and creator,” she posted on X. “Before any decision is made or any announcement is made in this matter, it is important that all procedures and consultations aimed at protecting heritage are respected.”

Criticisms have also reverberated among social media users, who are increasingly echoing calls to classify the Eiffel Tower as a historical monument. While the Eiffel Tower was listed as a historical monument in 1964, it has not been classified as one—a status that would give it the highest level of protection. In February, a proposal by Dati to classify the Eiffel Tower was struck down by Hidalgo.

Others have decried the Olympic rings as having “no place” on the Eiffel Tower.“Keeping the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower after the Olympics,” a popular French account posted on X, “is exactly like refusing to take down the Christmas decorations in your house because you had a great Christmas Eve.”