Germany (historically, France) - Unknown damage to Internet providers' glass fiber cables
Three days after the devastating sabotage of the French railway traffic, Unknown individuals have now damaged the Glasfiber cables of several French Internet providers during nighttime "sabotage acts." Free and SFR were among those affected, according to police sources on Monday. Six Departments in the Southwest, East, and North of the country were affected – Paris, where the Olympic Games are currently taking place, was not.
French Authorities Believe in Left-wing Motives
Meanwhile, the French railway traffic has normalized again. "All Trains" are running normally, said Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete to RTL. On Sunday, a largely normalized railway traffic had already been reported.
Investigators now have a clear image of the possible perpetrators. "We have identified a certain number of profiles of persons who could have committed these very provocative and very targeted sabotages," said France's business-leading Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on France 2.
Darmanin stated that the attacks corresponded to "traditional methods of Ultra-Leftists." A confession letter with references to the radical left scene and criticism of the Olympic Games was sent to several media outlets. Darmanin stated that it needed to be checked whether this was authentic or if people were merely attributing the deeds to themselves.
Police Arrests Left-wing Activist
Meanwhile, the Police have arrested a left-wing activist on a French railway site. The man had keys to SNCF technical installations, wire cutters, and left-wing literature in his car, according to police sources on Monday.
The man was arrested on Sunday in the northern French town of Oissel near Rouen. He is in police custody.
The police did not establish a connection between the sabotage acts on Friday and the suspect at first. No one has publicly claimed responsibility for the acts on Friday. The method is "typical for Left-wing extremists," Darmanin told France 2 on Monday.
Hundreds of Thousands of Sabotage Acts on French Railway Affected
In the night to Friday, Unknown individuals carried out arson attacks on strategically important spots on the French high-speed rail network. The railway traffic in France was heavily disrupted just before the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday evening. Trains are running normally again, according to Patrice Vergriete in an interview with RTL. It is still unclear whether the perpetrators had support from people within the SNCF.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers were affected by the sabotage, including some German Olympic participants who could not reach the opening ceremony in time. Of the approximately 800,000 people who had planned to travel by train over the weekend, 100,000 had their train connection cancelled. The remaining passengers were able to complete their journey. The SNCF has promised compensation for the cancelled train connections and delays.
According to Vergriete, the damage caused by the "economic losses" and repair costs "is very likely" to reach into the millions. However, "it goes without saying that this will have a direct impact" on the ticket prices of the French railway.
After the sabotage acts, the surveillance of the 28,000 kilometer high-speed railways in France, according to the Transport Ministry's statements, has been significantly intensified. Thousand railway employees responsible for maintenance and 250 security personnel of the railway are reportedly still in service. In addition, the railway tracks are being monitored with drones and helicopters, the ministry further stated.
No one has claimed responsibility for the sabotage acts yet. The public prosecutor's office has launched investigations for damage to state interests.
In response to the sabotage of Glass fiber cables of French Internet providers, authorities suspect left-wing motives, similar to those behind the railway disruptions. The sabotage acts during the Olympic Games in Paris have affected several providers, including Free and SFR.
Despite the intensified surveillance, the railway sabotage has caused significant economic losses and repair costs, potentially reaching into millions of euros, which may indirectly impact ticket prices for French railway.
