Climber Detained After Scaling Eiffel Tower Ahead of Olympic Closing Ceremony
A day when something unusual happened during the closing ceremony of Paris Olympics. The area surrounding the Eiffel Tower was evacuated on afternoon after an unknown man was spotted climbing the iconic structure. The incident too place just mere hours before the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
The man is still unidentified. He was shirtless, was seen making his way up the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tower. Although it remains unclear where he initiated his climb, witnesses reported seeing him near the Olympic rings that adorn the second level of the monument, just above the first viewing platform.
Authorities responded quickly, evacuating the vicinity around 3 p.m. to ensure public safety. Tourists and visitors who were on the tower at the time were temporarily confined to the second floor but were allowed to leave approximately 30 minutes later.
“An individual started climbing the Eiffel Tower at 2:45 p.m., police intervened, and the person was detained,” said a Paris police official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation into the incident.
The Eiffel Tower has played a significant role in this year’s Olympic festivities, most notably during the opening ceremony, where singer Celine Dion performed from one of its viewing decks. However, the tower was not slated to feature in the closing ceremony, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. at the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis.
As the Olympic Games draw to a close, security efforts have intensified across Paris. On Sunday alone, over 30,000 police officers were deployed throughout the city. France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, confirmed that 3,000 officers would be stationed around the Stade de France, with an additional 20,000 security personnel positioned in both Paris and Saint-Denis to maintain safety during the final hours of the Olympics.
This incident comes as Paris shifts its focus to ensuring a secure and smooth conclusion to the Games, which have drawn global attention and required extensive security measures throughout the city.
