PARIS — Disappointed tourists poked their heads through the Louvre’s locked gates on Saturday, cut off from the Mona Lisa as galleries and museums across Paris closed as a precaution ahead of fresh demonstrations.

The preemptive shutdowns came one week after nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and deteriorating public services descended into some of the worst street violence France has seen in years. The unrest and resulting damage prompted the government to impose localized curfews and close many public venues ahead of demonstrations planned for Saturday.

Among those caught off guard was Selena Bertoni, a 31-year-old Italian social educator standing in front of the Musée d’Orsay. “When we came, we thought there could be a problem but not that the museum would be closed,” she said. On a four-day trip to Paris, Bertoni had paid €50 ($56) for two tickets to see the museum’s Impressionist paintings and other masterpieces. “Bad timing,” she said with a shrug.

WIDESPREAD SHUTDOWN

The closures stretched across much of the capital’s cultural sector, in a city that ranks among the world’s top tourist destinations. The Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, and Picasso museums all shut their doors, and the entire Tuileries Gardens complex leading out of the Louvre was sealed off.

“This is the third museum we have come to that is closed. They should’ve warned us,” said Heidi Rosar, a 21-year-old French visitor.

At the Louvre, one of the world’s most-visited museums, locked black iron gates blocked access to the entire site and its garden. Don Nowschuk, a 67-year-old Canadian visitor, said he had hoped “to at least see the pyramid,” referring to the museum’s landmark glass entrance. On a two-night stay in the City of Light, Nowschuk suggested local authorities might be overreacting.

“There is so much security that you would think it would be enough to secure the museum,” he said. “It’s a bit weird to see so many cops with guns around Paris. We are to guns but not like this.”

The disruption extended to the performing arts as well. The Paris Opera shuttered both the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, citing safety concerns for staff and audiences. Organizers of the prestigious Art Basel Paris fair, one of the art world’s marquee events, also canceled their weekend program. It remained unclear when the shuttered venues would reopen.

The cultural institutions posted warnings about the closures on Friday, but some visitors never thought to check. “How could we have known? We didn’t think a museum could be closed. We are a bit naive,” said Catherine Sebbagh, a 59-year-old French woman. — Reuters