Eiffel Tower evacuated after man seen climbing hours before Olympics closing ceremony

August 11, 2024

The area surrounding the Eiffel Tower was evacuated on Sunday afternoon after a man was seen climbing up the Paris landmark hours as the Olympics bids farewell with tonight’s closing ceremony.

The area was quickly reopened within an hour after a shirtless man was seen climbing the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tall tower as the two-week sporting extravaganza comes to an end.

It’s unclear where the man began his ascent, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings adorning the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck.

Police escorted visitors away from the area around 3pm Some visitors who were briefly locked on the second floor were allowed to exit around 30 minutes later.

The area has been extremely popular with tourists during the Games, with Paris 2024 hosting beach volleyball in front of the landmark at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.

French president Emmanuel Macron had called the purpose-built arena “magnificent,” though it will be dismantled following the Games.

The Eiffel Tower was a centerpiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion serenading the city from one of its viewing areas.

Just hours before the start of the Olympic Games arsonists launched a “malicious” arson attack on France’s rail networks forcing rail operators to cancel trains into Paris. Despite the rail disruption, the games have largely continued without major disruption.

The Tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was set to begin at Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis at 9pm local time (8pm BST).

A man climbs the Eiffel Tower, during the 2024 Summer Olympics (AP)

The incident occurred as the Olympic competition winds down and security services in Paris and beyond are shifting their focus to the closing ceremony that will bring the curtain down on the Games.

More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed around Paris on Sunday. France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said about 3,000 police officers will be mobilized around the Stade de France, and 20,000 police troops and other security personnel in Paris and the Saint-Denis area will be mobilized late into Sunday night to ensure safety on the last day of the Olympics.