- An activist was reportedly arrested at a train station on Sunday after Friday’s attacks.
Fibre optic networks have been “sabotaged” causing disruptions to telecommunications networks across France, according to authorities, who have condemned the attacks as “cowardly and irresponsible”.
This comes after coordinated arson attacks paralysed high-speed train services in the country on Friday, hours before the Olympics opening ceremony, disrupting travel for hundreds of thousands of people.
A far-left activist was arrested at a train station yesterday, police said today, and investigators are looking into whether the man belongs to an “anti-Olympics” movement.
The man was arrested on Sunday in Oissel, northern France, and had access to keys to SNCF technical premises, tools and literature linked to the far left, a source said.
The latest alleged acts of vandalism have affected fibre optic installations in six areas of France, including the area around Paris, where much of the Games are being held.
Pedestrians walk past a store of French telecommunications and mobile phone company SFR (file image)
Charred cables near a railway line in Courtalain after reports of “arson” attacks on rail infrastructure on Friday
The network suffered scattered outages after vandalism overnight, affecting some fixed and mobile services, French Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari said on X.
“I condemn in the strongest terms these cowardly and irresponsible acts,” he said, adding that teams are working to fully restore telecommunications operations.
Cables were cut in the electrical cabinets of telephone operators SFR, Bouygues and Free, according to Le Parisien, and users of other networks were also affected by the damage.
The report notes that acts of vandalism have occurred on infrastructure in the south of France, in the Meuse region near Luxembourg, and in the Oise area near Paris.
The French capital is said to have been unaffected by the attacks so far.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the accident and the number of people affected is still unknown.
SNCF employees and French gendarmes inspect the scene of a suspected attack on the high-speed rail network in Croiselles, northern France, July 26, 2024.
A repeater antenna was vandalized on Friday, depriving 2,000 households of Internet in Haute-Garonne, on the outskirts of Toulouse. BFM Television reports.
A group called ‘No JO’ (No Olympics) claimed responsibility for the fire and one of their badges was reportedly found at the scene.
SFR and Bouygues did not immediately respond to requests for comment.