Eiffel Tower Evacuation forces visitors out before Olympic Closing Ceremony
A man climbing the Eiffel Tower prompted a significant security response and evacuation just hours before the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Sunday. The shirtless climber was spotted scaling the 330-meter tall landmark in the afternoon, positioned just above the Olympic rings displayed on the second section of the tower, above the first viewing deck.
French police swiftly evacuated the area around the tower, directing visitors away from the site around 3 p.m. local time. Some visitors here on the second floor were locked briefly, though around 30 minutes later it came free and they were allowed to exit.
The Eiffel Tower, which was the centerpiece of the Olympic Opening Ceremony with a performance from Celine Dion, was never figured to be part of the closing. Scheduled to take place at 9 p.m. in Stade de France, just outside Paris proper in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis, the closing ceremony was not expected to involve the Eiffel Tower.
This incident occurred as Olympic events were concluding and security services in Paris were intensifying their focus on the closing ceremony. To ensure safety on the final day of the Olympics, more than 30,000 police officers were deployed throughout Paris. France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, reported that approximately 3,000 officers would be stationed around the Stade de France, with an additional 20,000 police troops and security personnel mobilized in Paris and the Saint-Denis area late into the night.
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