Police evacuate Eiffel Tower in Paris after shirtless man climbs it | World News

A shirtless man has been arrested after he was spotted climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris hours before the Olympics closing ceremony.

French authorities were forced to evacuate the famous monument this afternoon.

It’s unclear exactly where the man began the climb, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings, just above the first observation deck.

In a video posted on X, a shocked eyewitness at the bottom of the tower can be heard saying: “There’s a guy climbing the Eiffel Tower. He just went over the blue ring. I don’t think he’s wearing a shirt. This is crazy.”

The man is also seen climbing the tower wearing only black shorts and shoes, without any climbing equipment.

Kevin Winston, who posted the video on X, wrote: “A guy is climbing the Olympic rings of the Eiffel Tower. You can see him on the blue ring. Tourists are being evacuated for safety reasons. The entrance under the tower is closed. He took the word ‘climb the Eiffel Tower’ too literally!”

In another video, the shirtless climber can be heard saying: “It’s pretty hot, isn’t it?” as he was escorted off the observation deck by police.

Visitors were escorted out of the area by police around 3pm this afternoon.

Some were briefly locked on the second floor of the 1,083-foot-tall tower, but were allowed to leave after 30 minutes.

A Paris police official said: “An individual started to climb the Eiffel Tower at 2:45 p.m., the police intervened and the person was arrested.”

The tower operator did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As the Olympic Games draw to a close, more than 30,000 police officers have been deployed around Paris and beyond to monitor the closing ceremony.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said around 3,000 police officers would be deployed around the Stade de France where the event is taking place.

20,000 police officers and other security personnel in Paris and the Saint-Denis region will be deployed until late on Sunday night to ensure security on the final day of the Games.

It promises to be a spectacular night as artists like Billie Eilish take the stage for the final celebration.

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