Paris is often called the "City of Love". Now, the city hopes to spread that love by selling "love locks" on Paris' Pont des Arts starting in early 2017, Conde Nast Traveler reports, and use the proceeds to help refugees settling in the city. Paris has been at the forefront of welcoming and assisting thousands of refugees throughout Europe's migrant crisis, and this new "love lock sale" is just another way the city is leading by example.
Love locks are part of a tradition where couples write their names on two different padlocks and hang them on the Pont des Arts in Paris, located near the Louvre Museum. The tradition has been replicated in other cities around the world, including Seoul, South Korea, and Moscow, Russia. Unfortunately, despite its heartwarming message, the lock on the Pont des Arts has become a hazard. In 2014, while all the locks were waiting, the bridge's railings began to collapse, leading to the removal of the approximately 45 tons of locks (that's a million locks, y'all!) in 2015. A group called No Love Locks, which has spearheaded a campaign to remove the locks from the Pont des Arts, recently expressed support for the city's move to sell the locks, local media reported. (Bustle has reached out to No Love Locks for comment.)
Update: No Love Locks co-founder Lisa Anselmo tells Bustle via email, "This is an example of true selfless love in action, and it happens at a time when many are turning their backs on refugees. This is It is a strong statement from Paris that there is a beautiful and meaningful ending to the story of the lock that caused so much damage to Paris' beloved Pont des Arts and caused so much heartbreak for Parisians."
EARLIER: As a lifelong sentimental romantic, I find it a little sad that the love locks have to be pulled. But honestly, the idea of selling thousands of locks and using the proceeds to support local refugees is a much better idea than just throwing them away. At a recent press conference, Paris environment director Bruno Julliard said the locks will be sold at an affordable price and people can buy padlocks individually or even in bulk according to their needs, according to The Local.
Revenue from lock sales could be as high as $107,000, depending on the number of locks ultimately sold. The remaining unclaimed locks will be melted down or sold for scrap, which sounds like a sad fate to me. I 'm hoping they'll be available online so I can participate in the sale, although the exact details of the sale are unclear. Currently, Paris authorities have not mentioned which specific refugee support organizations they plan to donate to, although there are many to choose from (such as Singa).
Now that this has become a city-wide effort to provide aid to hundreds of refugees who have just settled or have been living in Paris for some time, I hope to see more governments at the local, state, and national levels provide creative ways to do good and support people around the world Other communities that may be marginalized. The Love Locks Bake Sale in Paris is not only an act of love, but a powerful symbol of global solidarity – something we can definitely use more of.
Photo: Getty Images; Jiffy
