No more love locks in Paris

Parisian City officials have announced the removal of love locks on the bridges above the Seine River.

It has been a growing tourist tradition in Italy, Paris and also the Brooklyn Bridge in New York for couples to sign their names on a padlock then lock it on the railings and throw the keys into the River signifying the strength of their love.

TV presenter Ebuka Obi-Uchendu recently visited one the love lock sites in Paris and added a love lock for himself and his Fiancée Cynthia to millions on the bridges.

Two Americans started a petition in March last year for the removal of the padlocks and for the city to put an end to the tradition. They argued that the sight of so many padlocks on the bridges was becoming an eye sore and posed dangers to people passing under the bridge. But City officials were reluctant to take action at the risk of looking like antagonists of love.

However, In June last year, a five-foot section of the railings on Pont des Arts parapet collapsed under the pressure exerted by the padlocks.

“This phenomenon generates two problems: a lasting degradation of the heritage of Paris and also a risk to the safety of visitors, Parisians and tourists,” city hall said in a statement announcing that as of Monday it would begin cutting the locks.

“We want Paris to remain the capital of love and romance,” said Bruno Julliard, Paris’ deputy mayor, adding that there would be new initiatives encouraging people to express their love in other ways.

There have also been protests to end the love lock practice in various other countries across Europe.