Paris plans to sell old love locks to raise €100,000 for refugees
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Published: 5 Dec, 2016 CET.
Updated: Mon 5 Dec 2016 13:16 CET
Authorities have announced plans to give refugee groups the proceeds from a huge sale of love locks that were removed from Paris bridges last year.
A year and a half ago, workers stripped the Pont des Arts of around 1 million padlocks that had been attached by lovers over the years.
Since then, the 65 tonnes of love locks (this inludes 20 tonnes taken from the nearby Pont de l'Archevêché) have been gathering dust.
But not for much longer.
Bruno Julliard, the environment chief at Paris City Hall, has announced that ten tonnes worth of the locks would be sold off to anyone hoping to take a piece of modern Paris history with them.
"Members of the public can buy five or ten locks, or even clusters of them, all at an affordable price," he told journalists last week.
"All of the proceeds will be given to to those who work in support and in solidarity of the refugees in Paris."
He said that the sales could bring in up to €100,000, adding that anything that wasn't sold would be melted and then sold. The sales are expected to start early next year, although exact details remain unclear as yet.
Paris-based American Lisa Anselmo, who along with Lisa Taylor Huff set up the No Love Locks preservation group, said the move was a "touching end to the story" of the Pont des Arts 'love locks'.
"This is the true meaning of love in action. We hope other cities around the world will follow the lead of Mayor Anne Hidalgo," she said.
"It’s an inspired idea, and a much better way to show love - the universal kind of love - especially at a time when so many are turning their backs on the refugees of the world," she told The Local.
(The new love lock-proof Pont des Arts. AFP)
Comments
See Also
A year and a half ago, workers stripped the Pont des Arts of around 1 million padlocks that had been attached by lovers over the years.
Since then, the 65 tonnes of love locks (this inludes 20 tonnes taken from the nearby Pont de l'Archevêché) have been gathering dust.
But not for much longer.
Bruno Julliard, the environment chief at Paris City Hall, has announced that ten tonnes worth of the locks would be sold off to anyone hoping to take a piece of modern Paris history with them.
"Members of the public can buy five or ten locks, or even clusters of them, all at an affordable price," he told journalists last week.
"All of the proceeds will be given to to those who work in support and in solidarity of the refugees in Paris."
He said that the sales could bring in up to €100,000, adding that anything that wasn't sold would be melted and then sold. The sales are expected to start early next year, although exact details remain unclear as yet.
Paris-based American Lisa Anselmo, who along with Lisa Taylor Huff set up the No Love Locks preservation group, said the move was a "touching end to the story" of the Pont des Arts 'love locks'.
"This is the true meaning of love in action. We hope other cities around the world will follow the lead of Mayor Anne Hidalgo," she said.
"It’s an inspired idea, and a much better way to show love - the universal kind of love - especially at a time when so many are turning their backs on the refugees of the world," she told The Local.
(The new love lock-proof Pont des Arts. AFP)
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.