Paris 2024: French Police Arrest 50 In Olympic Disruption Plot

French authorities have detained numerous individuals for attempting to disrupt the Olympic Games, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on Monday.

Speaking to France 2 Television, Darmanin stated that security forces had arrested 50 people. These individuals had intended to execute “sabotage actions or radical protests” during the initial Olympic competitions, but authorities successfully thwarted these plans.

According to the newspaper Le Parisien, 45 members of the radical environmental group Extinction Rebellion were among those arrested. They had organized protests against the social and ecological impacts of the Olympics.

Additionally, Le Figaro reported the arrest of an ultra-left-wing activist on Sunday in Oissel, located about 121 kilometers northwest of Paris. This individual was apprehended at a French national train (SNCF) location and found in possession of access keys to SNCF technical areas, wire cutters, and a set of universal keys. The activist’s vehicle also contained literature associated with the ultra-left.

The Paris prosecutor’s office linked this arrest to an ongoing investigation into arson attacks that disrupted train traffic on Friday, just hours before the Olympics’ opening ceremonies, affecting hundreds of thousands of travelers. Darmanin mentioned to France 2 that authorities have a clearer understanding of potential suspects behind these attacks. “We have identified several profiles of individuals who may have carried out these very deliberate and highly targeted acts of sabotage,” he said. Darmanin further noted that the attacks fit “a traditional method of the far-left.”

A letter claiming responsibility, which included references to the radical left-wing scene and criticisms of the Olympics, was sent to multiple media outlets. Darmanin indicated that authorities are investigating the authenticity of this letter to determine whether the claims are legitimate or an attempt to take credit for the acts.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete informed the channel RTL that train services have since returned to normal. Darmanin mentioned that it remains uncertain whether the perpetrators received internal support from individuals within the SNCF. Additionally, unknown individuals damaged fiber-optic networks in parts of France overnight; however, Paris, where the summer Olympics are currently underway, was not impacted, according to French media reports on Monday.

Source: NAN

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