During the weekend, an individual identified as an “ultra-left” activist was taken into custody following acts of “sabotage” on the country’s railway system, as reported by various sources.
The arrest occurred on July 28 at a site operated by SNCF, the state-owned railway firm, in Oissel, according to Le Figaro. While initial reports from the BBC indicate that the suspect is a 28-year-old male, this detail has yet to be officially confirmed by authorities.
The railway was vandalized on July 26, just hours before the inauguration of the Paris Olympics. Additional incidents were noted where France’s telecommunications lines were also damaged in the early hours of July 29.
Background
The incidents came just before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, targeting France’s high-speed rail network and leading to considerable disruption across northern, eastern, and western regions of the country, including services like Eurostar that connect London and Paris.
The sabotage reportedly impacted around 250,000 travelers on July 26, with the repercussions extending to hundreds of thousands more over the subsequent weekend.
The rail company has since announced that normal operations were expected to resume by Monday morning.
What We Know So Far
The BBC notes that the 28-year-old suspect is currently undergoing police interrogation in Rouen. This individual, described as an “ultra-left militant,” was arrested in northwestern France while acting suspiciously near a railway facility.
Reports from Le Figaro show that police discovered the suspect possessed “access keys to technical SNCF areas,” “wire cutters,” a “set of universal keys,” as well as ultra-left advocacy materials in his vehicle, including a book entitled “The Vertigo of the Riot: From the Zad to the Yellow Vests.”
On July 29, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that certain profiles had been identified potentially linked to the sabotage which occurred between Thursday and Friday nights affecting SNCF’s TGV lines. He emphasized that such actions are characteristic of ultra-left groups and raised questions about whether these individuals were acting independently or under outside influence.
Darmanin suggested there was likely a political motive behind the sabotage, adding that the locations targeted were chosen purposefully, calling the attacks “extremely well targeted” and not random, as three major rail lines were involved.
Alongside the train line damages, reports emerged of cut fiber-optic cables in six separate areas throughout France overnight from July 28-29, leading to some phone service outages.
As the BBC pointed out, it remains uncertain whether there is any connection between the telecom vandalism and the railway sabotage.
Looking Ahead
It is still unconfirmed if the detained individual is connected to the suspected arson attacks on the railway. At this time, no group has come forward to claim responsibility for either the train or telecommunications sabotage.