Man arrested after climbing Eiffel Tower hours before Olympics closing ceremony
A shirtless man was arrested after he was spotted climbing the Eiffel Tower hours before the Olympics closing ceremony
The Eiffel Tower was evacuated by authorities’ hours before the Olympics closing ceremony when a man was spotting scaling the 1,083-foot structure earlier in the afternoon.
The shirtless man was spotted above the Olympic rings which sits on the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck
Police escorted visitors away from the area around 3pm. Some visitors who were briefly locked on the second floor were allowed to exit around 30 minutes later. People have shared pictures on Twitter, appearing to show the man scaling up the side of the tower in just a pair of black shorts and shoes with no climbing equipment
The Eiffel Tower was a centrepiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion serenading the city from one of its viewing areas. The Tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was set to begin at Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis at 9 p.m.
The incident occurred as the Olympic competition draws to a close and security services in Paris and beyond are shifting their focus to the closing ceremony that will bring the curtain down on the Games.
Social media posts show a man who appears to look like the Eiffel Tower climber being escorted away from the landmark by police in handcuffs. The man, who appears to be British from his accent, can be heard in a video saying "bloody warm innit" as he is led away.
Specialist police climbers can be seen in social media posts around the man before he is escorted away.
Frances Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced prior to this incident that 23,000 police officers will be deployed in the French capital this evening. At least 3,000 extra officers will be stationed around the Stade de France where the ceremony is due to take place.
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