Vandals attacked France’s TGV high-speed train network in a series of coordinated actions that caused major disruption on some of the country’s busiest rail lines ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony for the Olympics in Paris.
The state-run rail operator said arsonists set fire to installations along the lines connecting Paris to the west, north and east of the country and that traffic would be severely disrupted over the weekend.
“Last night, SNCF was the victim of several acts of vandalism on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines. The fires were deliberately set to damage our installations,” SNCF said in a statement.
Sports Minister Ameli Ouda Kaster condemned the vandalism.
“It’s absolutely terrifying,” she told BFMTV. “To attack the Games is to attack France,” she said.
France has announced exceptional security measures for the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday.
About 45,000 police officers, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security guards will ensure the safety of the parade along the Seine River, its banks and surrounding monuments, Reuters reported.
The games are said to be held at a time of great security risks, i.e. at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.
France is on the highest level of security, although officials have reiterated that there is no particular threat to the opening ceremony or the games themselves.
Dozens of world leaders will be in Paris for the opening ceremony, which will be protected by snipers on the roofs. The Seine River bed has been cleared of bombs, and Paris airspace will be closed.
Radar surveillance aircraft and Ripir drones will observe sensitive locations from above, and Miraž 2000 fighter jets will be on standby to intercept aircraft straying into restricted airspace, Hina writes.
Photo: Wikipedia
