French authorities evacuated the Eiffel Tower on Sunday after an individual was seen climbing the iconic Paris landmark hours before the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
The shirtless man was seen climbing the 330-metre (1,083-foot) tall tower in the afternoon. It is not clear where he began his ascent, but he was observed just above the Olympic rings that adorn the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing platform.
Police cleared visitors from the area around 3 p.m. Some of the visitors were briefly trapped on the second floor of the tower, and were allowed to leave after about 30 minutes.
“An individual began climbing the Eiffel Tower at around 2:45 p.m., police intervened and the person was arrested,” a Paris police official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Eiffel Tower was a centerpiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion serenading the city from one of its viewing areas. The tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was scheduled to begin at the Stade de France in the suburb of Saint-Denis at around 9 p.m.
The incident occurred as the competitions drew to a close and security services in Paris and other venues turned their attention to the closing ceremony that will bring down the curtain on the Games.
More than 30,000 police officers were deployed in Paris on Sunday. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said some 3,000 police officers would be deployed around the Stade de France, and 20,000 police and security personnel in Paris and the Saint-Denis area would be mobilized late into the night to ensure security on the final day of the Games.
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