In news that will shock absolutely no one, not a single, solitary soul, just hours before the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics were scheduled to begin, the train service in France was the target of several “malicious acts” which led to disruptions to high-speed lines. Now, I don’t mean to point fingers without having all of the facts, but I have a strong suspicion that, given these were arson attacks, immigrants from Muslim-majority nations might have played a role in the chaos.
Just another reminder of why a nation needs to have protected borders and a stringent immigration system. Otherwise, you leave yourself open to assault by evil people from all around the globe.
Check out the details on this from USA Today:
The fires were caused by vandalized signal boxes and electricity pylons at several rural locations outside Paris. But they had a knock-on impact on services at some of the capital city’s main train stations. The incident comes as French and international security officials have rolled out an extensive security operation for the Olympics involving tens of thousands of police and military personnel on the streets.
The rail service said that up to 800,000 passengers were disrupted by the “massive attack,” and it asked them to postpone trips. SNCF said the incident was aimed at “paralyzing the network.”
SNCF said some overhead cables were cut and burned in what it called an act of “sabotage.” The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. By late afternoon, SNCF said emergency repairs had been made to some lines, leading to a partial and gradual resumption of traffic.
One of the lines that was hit by an attack was located between Lille and Paris, which is a city that sits in the northern part of France where preliminary games in men’s and women’s basketball and handball were being played.
The CEO of SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, spoke with French media and revealed there were at least two trains that were interrupted carrying Olympic athletes who were on their way to the opening ceremony.
Farandou characterized the incident as a “premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack.” He said railway maintenance workers thwarted a suspected sabotage attempt along tracks heading southeast of Paris.
Eurostar trains running between London and Paris also were disrupted. Other international train routes into France from Germany were experiencing delays. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said no American athletes were affected by the train disruptions because they were mostly traveling on buses. SNCF said there could be delays through the weekend.
The organizers of the Games have also made preparations in case of civil unrest. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal sent a stern warning to the individuals who were responsible for such behavior would spend a lengthy amount of time in prison, along with being slapped with hefty fines.
The report concluded, ” In an appearance at the Olympic Village, where athletes are staying, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said he didn’t have any concerns and had ‘full confidence in the French authorities.'”
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