‘Love padlocks’ given go-ahead

THE Mairie de Paris has given the green light to the tradition of “Love padlocks” on bridges across the Seine.

Some of the capital’s most emblematic bridges, like the Pont des Arts, the Pont de l’Evêché or the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor once again have many small padlocks locked to them as love tokens by visiting couples – after they mysteriously disappeared last year.

The tradition was under threat from the mairie last year, “worried about the degradation of heritage”, however officials say they had nothing to do with the sudden disappearance of the padlocks overnight.

Paris mairie, the police, and mayors of arrondissements deny any knowledge of the operation to strip of the padlocks, presumably with heavy-duty bolt-cutters. “It remains a complete mystery,” the Paris mairie says.

A council member told Le Figaro the mairie has decided to “take a live and let live attitude to this spontaneous phenomenon of beautiful Paris life”, even if it is not officially encouraging it. “Let’s say we’re turning a blind eye,” the councillor said.

Photo: Screen shot from video by CIFRAP-AFDAS directed by Antoine Roulet