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Snapshot 2:Fri, Jul 26, 2024 7:22:30 PM GMT last edited by MalcolmStanding

France: 'Coordinated' Arson Attacks Disrupt Rail Network Ahead of Olympic Games

France: 'Coordinated' Arson Attacks Disrupt Rail Network Ahead of Olympic Games

Above: Travelers queue as the Eurostar service experienced delays and cancellations at St Pancras International Station on July 26, 2024 in London, England. Routes between London and Paris had been disrupted by arson attacks in France. Image copyright: ***Please Replace***Dan Kitwood/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • A series of "coordinated" arson attacks broke out on Friday on three of France's four high-speed rail lines, disrupting the travel plans of over 1M weekend commuters ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

  • Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called the fires "acts of sabotage," with prosecutors in Paris opening a criminal investigation. The chief executive officer of SNCF, a French rail company, said that the fires were mostly set in pipes that contained cables needed for signaling.

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