France Investigates Far-Left Links to Rail System Attacks Ahead of Olympics
- French minister Gérald Darmanin has suggested that far-left activists may be responsible for recent sabotage acts, including arson attacks targeting railway infrastructure.
- These disruptions have raised concerns ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
- The allegations could further polarize political opinions in the country and may lead to heightened security measures.
France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has suggested that far-left activists may be responsible for recent attacks on the high-speed rail system, coinciding with the lead-up to the Olympic Games. Following a series of arson incidents, Darmanin announced that the investigation has identified several potential suspects, although he did not disclose specific evidence linking them to the crimes. Approximately 50 individuals have been arrested in connection with the attacks, which aimed to disrupt events in Paris during the Olympics. In a related incident, vandals targeted internet cables, causing isolated outages across six regions in France. The attacks occurred early Monday morning, but major telecom provider Orange, which is responsible for the Olympic Games' communications, reported no disruptions. Marina Ferrari, the Minister for Digital Affairs, condemned the vandalism as "cowardly and irresponsible," while SFR, one of the country's largest telecom operators, described the damage as significant, requiring heavy tools for execution. The financial impact of these attacks is expected to reach millions of euros, prompting authorities to enhance security measures across the rail network. The national rail operator SNCF has mobilized around 1,000 maintenance agents and 250 security personnel, supported by drones and regular helicopter patrols. Investigators have noted that one suspect was found with tools and literature associated with far-left ideologies, raising concerns about the motivations behind the attacks.