- The Louvre in Paris was evacuated Saturday after receiving a threat.
- About 15,000 visitors were asked to leave the premises.
- France has been on high alert for terrorist attacks after a teacher was killed on Friday.
The Louvre in Paris closed early on Saturday and evacuated all visitors after receiving a written threat, The Associated Press and other outlets reported.
Officials said they received a written note that morning “stating there is a risk to the museum and its visitors” and had chosen to evacuate to carry out “essential checks,” according to The Guardian. An estimated 15,000 people were asked to leave, the newspaper said.
The Louvre is home to some of the world’s most famous works of art, including the “Mona Lisa” and “Venus de Milo.” During the pandemic in 2021 it put its entire collection online for anyone to enjoy.
France has already been on high alert since Friday after a teacher was fatally stabbed and two others were seriously injured in an attack in the northern city of Arras.
The suspect, a man in his 20s from the southern Caucus region of Chechnya, was already listed as a potential security threat on a national security watchlist and under surveillance by French security services, according to France24.
In light of the attack, President Emmanuel Macron is deploying 7,000 troops to increase security across France.
“This school was struck by the barbarity of Islamist terrorism,” Macron said after visiting the school and noted that the victim had “probably saved many lives” in trying to block the attacker, France24 reported.
The Louvre did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
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