The interior minister of France has indicated that far-left activists may be responsible for the sabotage of the nation’s high-speed rail system just before the Olympics opening ceremony.
In response to the attacks four days earlier, Gérald Darmanin stated that the investigation into the arson incidents has “identified several profiles that could potentially be responsible.”
He suggested that individuals on the extreme left might have been prompted to target the transport system by unspecified sources, characterizing the act as “highly precise and extremely well-timed.”
However, he did not present any proof regarding the identity of the individuals involved.
Darmanin commented on France 2: “This aligns with the traditional methods of action of the far-left. We must tread carefully; the crucial question is whether they were manipulated or acting for their own interests. There are individuals capable of influencing this movement.”
Additionally, the minister confirmed on Monday that “approximately 50 individuals” had been arrested for allegedly trying to execute either sabotage or radical protests in Paris during the initial events of the Olympic Games, alongside an estimated 150 others.
Reports also surfaced on Monday indicating that France’s telecom network experienced isolated outages in six regions after vandals targeted telecommunications operators overnight.
The attack seemingly impacted France’s long-distance fiber-optic network, yet Orange, which is providing services for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, was unaffected.
Marina Ferrari, the digital affairs minister, stated: “I firmly condemn these cowardly and irresponsible acts. Gratitude goes to the teams deployed this morning to repair and restore the damaged sites.”
In the early hours of Friday, arsonists severed fiber-optic cables at facilities along the high-speed TGV lines linking Paris to the western, northern, and eastern parts of the country.
This resulted in significant disruptions nationwide and the cancellation of Eurostar services; however, transport secretary Patrice Vergriete reported that all trains on the French high-speed rail network were operating normally on Monday.
Vergriete estimated the cost of the attacks would “very likely” reach millions of euros and noted that extensive resources were being allocated to bolster surveillance of the 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of TGV network.
One thousand maintenance staff from the national rail operator SNCF and 250 rail security personnel have been mobilized until further notice, along with 50 drones, and there will be regular aerial patrols by the gendarmerie, he added.
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The investigation into the sabotage is being conducted by Paris’s chief prosecutor, Laure Beccuau.
No public claim of responsibility has been made, but several media outlets received supportive messages regarding the attacks on Saturday.
Darmanin acknowledged awareness of these communications and stated it resembled a claim, but could also be a case of opportunism by individuals seeking attention.
Le Parisien reported on Monday that a far-left activist was arrested on Sunday at an SNCF facility in Oissel, Normandy.
The suspect was reportedly found with access keys to SNCF properties, cutting tools, a set of master keys, and “literature related to the far-left” in his vehicle.
