Last Sunday, four offenders broke into the Louvre through a window, smashed display cases, and vanished with eight pieces of historic jewelry, including tiaras, necklaces, and brooches once belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie, Queen Hortense, and Empress Eugénie. These 19th-century jewels survived revolutions and restorations alike, until now. “Sunday’s theft has reignited urgent questions about how, and why, museums protect their collections,” writes Emiline Smith, a lecturer in criminology at the University of Glasgow who researches the trafficking, protection, and repatriation of cultural and natural resources in Asia. “We need a more pragmatic, realistic approach to museum ownership and collection retention. In an age when empires are being re-examined and calls for repatriation are growing louder, not every cultural object can, or should, remain behind glass.” To read the full opinion by Emiline Smith, visit the link in bio. . . . #Louvre #Heist #Colonialism #BloodDiamond