Paris police informed the BBC that a man was taken into custody for scaling the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, just hours before the Olympics’ closing ceremony.
The individual was observed climbing the tower around 14:45 local time (13:45 BST), prompting a swift response from officers who apprehended him. Details regarding the man’s motives and nationality were not immediately disclosed.
Social media videos captured a bare-chested man ascending the tower near the Olympic rings that have adorned it throughout the summer games.
In one clip, the man, with his hands cuffed behind his back, is escorted by police and remarks to a bystander, “Bloody warm, innit?”
According to the Associated Press, French authorities cleared the vicinity around the Eiffel Tower during the incident, with CNN also confirming the tower’s evacuation, citing police sources.
As of 16:00, the BBC had not independently verified any evacuations or whether they remained in effect.
While the Eiffel Tower was a focal point of the Olympics’ opening ceremony, it was not anticipated to play a role in the subsequent closing ceremony on Sunday.