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In Pictures: Life around Eiffel Tower

Visited by millions, the site of the iconic structure is also about the daily struggle of undocumented migrants.

The Eiffel Tower is perhaps Paris(***)s most iconic monument. Standing at 324 metres, it is the city(***)s tallest building. 
By Arko Datto
Published On 5 May 2013

The Eiffel Tower is the quintessential image of Paris, drawing millions of tourists each year. They gape in awe at the metal frame, but rarely notice the cat-and-mouse game that plays out daily around the iconic site.

Much beyond the public gaze, it is also a site of contestation between undocumented migrants, trying to sell souvenirs to visitors, and security forces.

Paris’ tallest structure stands testimony to both architectural splendour and the daily struggle of many to build life.

Children of visiting tourists compare their replica statues to the real thing. The lattice-iron tower, located in the south-western part of Paris, affords visitors a 360 degree view of the city from its third and top floor. 
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Roughly 7 million tourists visit the tower each year, attracting hawkers hoping to make a living by selling souvenirs. 
Souvenir sellers prepare to run as police arrive. Most of them are undocumented migrants hailing from France(***)s former colonies in Africa and Asia, and most do not have trading licences. 
The hawkers run as police arrive. The numbers of illegal vendors have increased in recent months, French media reports. Clashes between security forces and the vendors have become more frequent. 
Security waits around the perimetre of the Champs de Mars, the park where the tower sits.
A hawker watches the movements of security forces. The cat and mouse game is part and parcel of the daily life of the tower(***)s hawkers. 
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Moroccan expatriates protests at the Trocadero, a nearby square that often hosts demonstrations. Above, participants voice their support for the Arab Spring.
People skate at the ice rink installed in front of the Eiffel Tower for Christmas. 
A migrant from Bangladesh sells fried chestnuts. His pleas for asylum have been refused three times, he said, preventing him from moving on to a better, legal job. 
The Eiffel Tower can be seen from many places throughout Paris. 
Children play with their Eiffel Tower mementos. 
Thousands line up in front of the Eiffel Tower to celebrate New Years Eve. Traffic clogged the nearby metro station of Bir-Hakeim after the midnight festivities.
At a nearby metro subway, another Bangladeshi asylum seeker sells pirated DVDs for one euro a piece. He says he is frequently harassed by con-men who pose as the police and confiscate his goods. The real police also confiscate his goods. He has been denied asylum twice.