Eiffel Tower is evacuated after man seen climbing iconic Paris landmark just hours before Olympics closing ceremony
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The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated after a man was seen climbing the iconic Parisian landmark hours before the Olympic Games closing ceremony.
The shirtless man was spotted this afternoon climbing the 330-meter-high tower.
It is unclear where he began his climb, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings that adorn the second part of the monument, just above the first viewing platform.
At around 3pm, visitors were escorted out of the area by police and the entrance under the tower was closed.
Some visitors were briefly locked on the second floor, but were allowed to leave about 30 minutes later.
The shirtless man was spotted this afternoon climbing the 330-meter tower
It was unclear where he began his climb, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings that adorn the second part of the monument
The man in the photo with his legs dangling from the tower
Video footage on social media shows the man climbing the tower next to the blue Olympic ring.
Another clip shows a blond man, bare-chested and resembling the man climbing the tower, being led away from the tower in handcuffs by French police.
In the clip, he turns to the person filming and says in what sounds like a British accent: “Bloody warm ain’t it?”
Police clear area around Eiffel Tower after man spotted climbing historic landmark
French police lead people away from the tower as they deal with the incident
The closing ceremony will begin at around 9pm at the Stade de France in the Saint-Denis district, a good distance from the tower.
More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed in Paris and beyond to monitor the final Olympic events and Sunday’s closing ceremony.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said about 3,000 police officers would be mobilized around the Stade de France and that 20,000 police officers and other security personnel would be mobilized in Paris and the Saint-Denis area until late Sunday evening to ensure security on the final day of the Games.