A five-foot piece of railing on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris collapsed Sunday night under the weight of "love locks," padlocks attached to the bridge by couples as a display of their everlasting love. Hopefully the couples who attached these locks have relationships stronger than bridge railings.
Although the bridge remains intact, the railing on the section was brought down by what appear to be thousands of padlocks. Luckily, the railing and locks fell onto the bridge and not into the river below. No injuries were reported.
A campaign to end the practice of attaching love locks is already underway. Two American expats started the "No Love Locks" campaign in January of this year, collecting thousands of signatures from Paris residents concerned about the damage that the locks are causing to the bridges.
Plombé par les "cadenas d'amour", le Pont des Arts est de nouveau ouvert http://t.co/MOXMvs1mPV pic.twitter.com/V1kTfPW5XD— Culturebox (@Culturebox) June 9, 2014
The collapse of the railing is likely to add fuel to the fire, as hopeless romantics argue that the locks should be allowed. The Pont des Arts bridge was closed after the collapse, reopening Monday after a board was placed where the railing had fallen.
The love lock craze began in Paris on the Pont des Arts in 2008, and in the years since has spread to other bridges over the Seine. However, the practice did not begin in the City of Light -- love locks can be found in different locations around the world. After a number of locks were attached to New York's Brooklyn Bridge, officials announced the practice was not allowed, and that locks will be removed.
Horteras del mundo: al final os habéis cargado el puente con tanta chorrada http://t.co/iqM6dcXxIF pic.twitter.com/SoRVNgsUcr— Bárbara Ayuso (@Barbaraayuso) June 9, 2014
In April, a rumor began circulating that the Pont des Arts could potentially collapse because of the weights, according to The Independent. However, Paris officials said that repairs at the time were routine and not a response to any structural threat.