- Eiffel Tower climber arrested before the Olympics
A window cleaner on the Eiffel Tower caused a police incident just hours before the Olympic closing ceremony. The man was spotted around 3:00 PM, according to German Press Agency sources. Officers took the climber into custody.
According to the Associated Press, the area around the Eiffel Tower was temporarily cordoned off. The man was seen above the Olympic rings on the monument, as seen in AP photos and videos on social media. The police initially couldn't provide information on the cordon. The operating company was asked for a statement.
According to AP, visitors were evacuated from the tower around 3:00 PM, with some unable to descend for a short time. A dpa reporter observed around 4:00 PM that visitors were already being allowed back to the tower.
The Eiffel Tower is one of France's most popular attractions and is also known as "la dame de fer" ("the iron lady"). Around seven million people visit the monument each year. The tower, which is over 130 years old and located near the Seine, was built for the Paris World's Fair and completed in 1889.
During the Olympics, which ended that evening with a closing ceremony at the Stade de France, the tower served as an impressive backdrop for the beach volleyball competitions, just meters away from the monument.
The Eiffel Tower, a renowned landmark, attracted attention once again as the window cleaner caused an incident. Visitors were temporarily evacuated from the tower due to the situation, but were allowed to return later.
