France, Paris: Saboteurs who previously halted France’s high-speed train lines just before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris are now being blamed for a series of similar attacks on telecommunications networks.
Authorities have reported damage to fiber-optic networks in six regions, though no major disruptions have occurred.
Following Friday’s attacks on the TGV network, speculation arose that Russian security services might be orchestrating the coordinated actions as retaliation for President Emmanuel Macron’s support for Ukraine. However, the arrest of an “ultra-left activist” on Sunday, who allegedly tried to access an SNCF train company network control room, suggests that homegrown anti-capitalist protesters are attempting to undermine the $9 billion Olympic project.
A police source informed AFP that the man arrested in Oissel, Normandy, had keys to SNCF technical premises, universal passkeys, tools, and an anti-capitalist resistance handbook.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated on Monday that over 50 people had been arrested for planning to disrupt the Olympics, attributing the attacks to far-left groups. Forty-five of those arrested are believed to be from the environmental group Extinction Rebellion, who had planned to disrupt early Olympic events, though they are not necessarily responsible for the rail and telecoms sabotage.
Regarding the sabotage attacks, Darmanin told France 2 TV that it was too early to determine the culprits. “This is the traditional mode of action of the far left,” he said, but noted, “We must be careful. The question is whether they were manipulated or if it was for their own benefit. There are individuals capable of engaging with this movement.
Among the targets was a telecoms relay tower near Toulouse that was set on fire early Friday. Nearby, a spray-painted tag reading “No: J.O.” was found, seemingly linked to a hard-left anarchist group opposed to the Olympic Games.
Friday's attacks disrupted high-speed TGV services from Paris to other parts of the country, as well as Eurostar services to London through the Channel Tunnel. However, all services were restored by Monday after emergency repairs.
