Trending Topics

Arson attacks hit Paris railway hours before Olympics opening ceremony

French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” but said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games

By Bill Carey
Police1

PARIS — France’s high-speed rail network faced widespread vandalism and arson on July 26, paralyzing travel to Paris from across France and Europe, the Associated Press reported.

The disruption also hindered Olympic athletes’ travel just hours before the opening ceremony for the Games.

French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” but said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games, according to the Associated Press.

Three fires near the tracks on the high-speed lines Atlantique, Nord and Est disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands.


For anyone protecting major events, the known threats are easy to track, but the unknowns manifest in blind spots that can cause unwanted surprises

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said intelligence services are working to find those behind the “acts of sabotage” which Attal described as “prepared and coordinated.”

SNCF railway CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou described the arson attacks as “a premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack” intended to seriously harm the French people.

Farandou said night shift railway workers thwarted a sabotage attempt on tracks southeast of Paris by spotting intruders and alerting police. The suspects fled quickly when noticed, the Associated Press reported.

Trending
The program will also provide incentives based on how many undocumented immigrants provided by ICE the partner agency is able to arrest
As Austin officers moved to arrest a suspect, the suspect pulled out a gun and pointed it at a bystander; the bystander tackled the suspect, and officers shot and killed the suspect
“This bill is about one thing, holding criminals accountable for endangering lives through reckless, high-speed attempts to evade law enforcement,” said state Rep. Rylee Linting
The Walbridge Police officer blew a .168% BAC on a breathalyzer test administered at the scene; he was relieved of duty immediately