Roving Periscope: Olympics 2024, beginning Friday, keep an alert France on edge

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: In the backdrop of looming political uncertainties, pro-Palestinian groups’ unease, and crumbling politico-security template in the West, including Europe, the Olympic Games 2024, beginning Friday in Paris, have put the host France on edge—because of potential terror attacks, despite unprecedented security arrangements.

The Games will take place from July 26 to August 11 and will attract nearly 10,500 players and their sports managers, besides 600,000 fans of different games and sports from all over the world.

According to the media reports, the French rail network has come across a major “sabotage” attempt ahead of the Olympics, affecting nearly 800,000 people.

“This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyze the TGV network,” train operator SNCF said, adding that many routes will have to be canceled. Investigators said the attacks were coordinated acts of “sabotage.”

“SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight,” the national train operator said, adding that the attacks affected its Atlantic, northern, and eastern lines.

“Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities,” it said, adding that traffic on the affected lines was “heavily disrupted” and the situation would last through the weekend as repairs are conducted.

A “massive attack” against France’s high-speed TGV rail network was an “outrageous criminal act,” Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said Friday, hours ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

There would be “very serious consequences” for rail traffic throughout the weekend with connections towards northern, eastern, and northwestern France halved, Vergriete said, while rail operator SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said 800,000 passengers were affected.

Trains were being diverted to different tracks “but we will have to cancel a large number of them,” the statement said.

The southeastern line was not affected as “a malicious act was foiled.”

SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train stations.

The attacks were launched as Paris was under heavy security ahead of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event.

The parade on Friday evening will see up to 7,500 competitors travel down a six-kilometer (four-mile) stretch of the River Seine on a flotilla of 85 boats.

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, a decision fraught with danger at a time when France is on its highest alert for terror attacks.

Already, arson and malicious attacks have disrupted train lines in Europe’s largest country ahead of the Games. Services on three major high-speed train lines in France were severely disrupted due to arson, causing significant travel chaos on the day of the Opening Ceremony.

The French national railway company, SNCF, reported that deliberate fires had been set on the Atlantic, Northern, and Eastern high-speed rail lines overnight. These disruptions severely affected Paris’ major Montparnasse station. Videos on social media showed the station’s hall crowded with stranded travelers.

“A massive attack took place last night to paralyze the high-speed rail network,” the company stated, adding that the malicious acts were aimed at damaging their installations.

Laurent Nuez, the Paris police chief, said the Paris police prefecture had concentrated its personnel in Parisian train stations following the massive attack that crippled the TGV high-speed network, the media reported.

The disruption has led to numerous train cancellations and major delays. SNCF advised passengers to postpone their travel plans if possible, as many French families are embarking on summer vacations to keep off the Paris chaos.

Valérie Pécresse, president of the regional council of the greater Paris region, estimated that 250,000 travelers would be affected by the disruptions. Alternate plans were being implemented, she said, and advised travelers to stay away from the stations.

Travel across France and to neighboring countries was affected by SNCF, including travel to and from London via the English Channel, and to Belgium.

This unprecedented disruption on the day of the opening ceremony underscores the heightened security and global tension surrounding the event, impacting thousands of travelers and casting a shadow over the celebratory mood.

The attack occurred against a backdrop of global tensions and increased security measures as the city prepared for the Olympic Games. Many travelers, including those attending the opening ceremony and vacationers, were caught in the disruptions.

Government officials condemned the acts but said there was no immediate evidence linking them directly to the Olympics. National police are investigating the incidents, and French media reported a significant fire on a busy western route.

Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra stated that authorities are working to assess the impact on travelers and athletes, ensuring the transport of all Olympic delegations to competition sites. She said, “Playing against the Games is playing against France, against your own camp, against your country.” However, she did not specify who might be responsible for the sabotage.