Paris Olympics: Vandalism reported in several parts of France, phone lines disrupted

The French government on Monday said that acts of vandalism have disrupted multiple telecommunications lines, affecting fiber lines and fixed and mobile phone services, as cities around France are hosting events for the Paris Olympics 2024.

The vandalism occurred after days after arson attacks disrupted train networks around France, just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony. The country’s telecom operators Bouygues and Free confirmed their services were impacted, with French media also reporting damage to lines operated by SFR.

However, the full extent of the impact remains unclear, including whether Olympic activities have been affected.

Marina Ferrari, Secretary of State in charge of digital affairs, posted on X that damage to telecommunications infrastructure in several regions occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday.

“I condemn in the strongest terms these cowardly and irresponsible acts. Thank you to the teams mobilised this morning to carry out repairs and restore damaged sites to service,” she wrote.

A French police official told news agency AP that at least six administrative departments were affected, including the region around Marseille, which is hosting Olympic soccer and sailing competitions.

Organisers of the Paris Olympics have not yet commented on the situation.

Meanwhile, local media reports suggest that cables in electrical cabinets were deliberately cut in southern France and there were acts of vandalism targeting installations in the Meuse region near Luxembourg and the Oise area near Paris.

On Friday (July 26), saboteurs launched coordinated attacks on France’s high-speed rail network, targeting signal substations and cables. The pre-dawn attack caused significant travel disruptions just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Following the attack, one “far-left extremist” was arrested by French Police.

According to a report by news agency Reuters, normal train traffic resumed on Monday morning, but not before approximately 8,00,000 people experienced significant disruptions. Among those affected, 1,00,000 individuals faced outright train cancellations.