Man climbs Eiffel Tower hours before Olympics closing ceremony

PARIS (AP) — French police evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the Paris landmark hours before the incident. Olympic Games Closing ceremony on Sunday.

The shirtless man was seen climbing the 330-metre (1,083-foot) tower in the afternoon. It is unclear where he began his ascent, but he was spotted above the Olympic rings that adorn the second section of the monument, above the first viewing platform.

Police escorted visitors away from the area around 3 p.m. and some visitors who were briefly detained on the second floor were allowed out about 30 minutes later.

The Eiffel Tower was the centrepiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion singing to the city from one of the viewing areas. The tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was scheduled to start at the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis at 9pm.

The incident occurred as the Olympic Games draw to a close, and security services in Paris and beyond are shifting their focus to Closing ceremony Which will bring the curtain down on the games.

more than 30 thousand police officers Police were deployed around Paris on Sunday. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said about 3,000 police officers would be deployed around the Stade de France, and 20,000 police and other security personnel would be deployed in Paris and the Saint-Denis area late Sunday night to ensure safety on the final day of the Olympics.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games