Should Tourists in Paris Be Allowed to Leave Love Locks on Bridges?

Since fencing on the Pont des Arts in Paris fell under the weight of thousands of padlocks on Sunday, the debate over the practice of tourists adding such "love locks" to romantic bridges is heating up.

City officials in New York City and Rome, among others, have resorted to cutting and removing locks. But Paris has hesitated to ban the practice

Padlocks began to appear in abundance on the Pont des Arts in 2008, and now cover several of the bridges crossing the Seine.

American expats Lisa Taylor-Huff and Lisa Anselmo, who both live in Paris, started the No Love Locks campaign in January of this year to ask that the city ban the padlocks. The locks, they say, are not a time-honored romantic tradition, but a tourist trend that hurts Paris' heritage. Read more...