As investigators race against time to track down the gang that carried out the spectacular theft of royal gemstone jewelry from the Louvre Museum in Paris last weekend, surprising testimonies from the day of the incident have emerged.
The few minutes of the grand €88 million heist were described by a museum guard who was present in the “Apollo Gallery” at the time.
Speaking to BFMTV, the guard responded to the criticism directed at him and his colleagues, who were accused of inaction.
“We are receptionists, not police officers. Our priority is the safety of people and the artworks,” he emphasized.
At 9:30 in the morning, when the robbery took place, there were usually between 10 and 50 visitors in the Apollo room. The security guard explained that ensuring their protection came first. He also stated that he did not completely leave the gallery.
“I hid near an emergency exit to observe the scene and relay information to the police. I saw them cutting through the glass,” he said.
According to the guard, nothing could be heard inside the room because of the noise from the cutting wheel. The thieves didn’t try to stop him from witnessing what was happening.
“That wasn’t their priority,” he said. “They were focused on the display cases. I don’t even know if they saw us.”
In the end, he added, “The robbery happened in just a few minutes.”
He couldn’t hear what the thieves were saying to each other because of the loud sound of the glass-cutting machine.
“I won’t say I wasn’t afraid,” he admitted, “but I didn’t feel truly terrified because they seemed determined and completely unconcerned with us.”
After initially thanking the Louvre’s security staff on Sunday, Rachida Dati, France’s Minister of Culture, reiterated her support for the workers in a statement to Le Parisien on Tuesday, October 22.
“I do not accept these targeted attacks or the shameful politicization of such a serious event,” she said.
The Minister also expressed regret over the “false information circulating since Sunday, which calls into question the museum’s internal security systems and, consequently, the employees responsible for them.”
Dati reaffirmed that “all alarm systems were triggered at every breach, from the window to the display cases. No system was damaged.”
President Emmanuel Macron has ordered his cabinet to “accelerate security measures” at the Louvre. He expects a list of proposals to be presented to his office next week.
