On Monday, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that an “ultra-left activist” had been detained following an alleged break-in at a railway facility, as a national inquiry carries on regarding last week’s arson attacks on train systems, which reportedly disrupted travel for nearly a million passengers just hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In a post on X, Darmanin indicated that the suspect was apprehended on Sunday at a railway site in the Seine-Maritime region of western France.
The post referenced the “sabotage” of the France national railway company’s network, SNCF, which occurred overnight from Thursday to Friday, right before the Paris Olympics commencement. However, the Paris prosecutor’s office noted that the unnamed individual detained at an SNCF location near Rouen on Sunday could not be immediately connected to the widespread arson incidents, according to The Associated Press.
The interior minister shared a report from the French daily Le Figaro while announcing the arrest. A police source who communicated with Agence France-Presse revealed that an “activist from the far-left movement” was taken into custody on Sunday at an SNCF site in Oissel (Seine-Maritime), as per the newspaper’s report.
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Soldiers patrol outside Gare du Nord train station at the Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
In the suspect’s vehicle, authorities discovered “access keys to SNCF technical premises,” “cutting pliers,” a “set of universal keys,” and literature pertaining to the far left, including Romain Huët’s book “Le vertige de l’riot: de la Zad aux Gilets jaunes,” according to reports.
A train conductor reportedly witnessed several individuals near a “railway electrical cabinet” just south of Rouen on Sunday. As the conductor approached, the group fled from an area that is not accessible to the public, as stated by the New York Times, referencing a statement from the Rouen prosecutor’s office. Authorities took the man into custody for questioning when he returned to collect his vehicle left at the scene.
Speaking to France 2, Darmanin remarked that the “acts of sabotage” from last week were executed in a deliberate, precise manner, reflecting “the traditional mode of action of the ultra-left.”
“The question is whether they were manipulated or if it was for their own advantage,” Darmanin stated. “What truly concerns us is that these were highly specific locations utilized for communication,” he continued, according to the New York Times. “Evidently, it was very well-targeted; it was not conducted at random.”
Le Figaro reported that fiber optic cables near the tracks, designated to relay safety information to drivers, including red light signals, were cut and set ablaze in various locations on the TGV line network overnight from Thursday to Friday. One source close to the investigation characterized it as a “well-prepared” operation coordinated by the “same structure.”
Police officers patrol inside the Gare du Nord train station, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
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As the national investigation progresses, train traffic had mostly returned to normal by Monday.
In the meantime, the French government reported that multiple telecommunications lines suffered vandalism again overnight from Sunday to Monday, impacting fiber, fixed, and mobile phone lines.
While the extent of the impact is still uncertain, as well as whether any Olympic activities have been affected, Marina Ferrari, the secretary of state responsible for digital affairs, posted on X that damages in several areas impacted telecommunications operators. She noted that this led to localized disruptions in access to fiber and fixed and mobile telephone lines.
Hours ahead of the Olympic grand opening ceremony, high-speed rail traffic to the French capital was heavily disrupted by what officials termed “criminal actions.” (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
“I condemn these cowardly and reckless acts in the strongest terms. Thank you to the teams that responded this morning to repair and restore damaged services,” Ferrari wrote.
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A French police official informed The Associated Press that at least six of France’s administrative departments were affected, including the area surrounding the Mediterranean city of Marseille, which is hosting Olympic soccer and sailing competitions. Telecommunications companies Bouygues and Free confirmed that their services were impacted. Reports from French media indicated that lines operated by the provider SFR were also compromised.
The parent company of Free stated that their teams are on-site to restore services.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
