Before the Olympics: Arson attacks on railway lines in France

Before the Olympics: Arson attacks on railway lines in France dpa • 44 minutes. • 1 minute reading time A few hours before the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris, unknown persons carried out arson attacks on several facilities on the French express train network. Express train traffic on the Atlantic, North and East axes is currently severely affected, the French railway company SNCF announced. There is also currently no traffic on the route to the Stade de France, one of the venues for the Olympic Games. Repairs are being started, it was said. However, the restrictions could last the whole weekend. The SNCF speaks of "several simultaneous malicious acts". However, the exact background is currently unclear. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place in Paris on Friday evening. An enormous number of spectators are expected in the metropolis for the pompous ceremony along the Seine. The organizers are expecting around 300,000 people on the banks. Around 120 heads of state and government and representatives are expected to attend the opening ceremony, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz. US First Lady Jill Biden will also attend the ceremony live. The background to the attack is still unclear The unique event will be secured by around 45,000 security forces. The airspace within a radius of 150 kilometers around Paris will be closed for the evening. The areas of the Seine where the parade will take place are largely closed to car traffic.