Unknown Individuals Organize Sabotage on Telecommunications Networks in France

Massive sabotage operations have been carried out across France on the network equipment of telecommunications operators Bouygues, SFR, and Free. Le Parisien reports that on the night of July 29, the cables of these operators were cut in the departments of Érôme, Bouches-du-Rhône, Oise, Meuse, Drôme, and Aude.

Preliminary reports suggest that 28 incidents were recorded, many of which damaged fixed-line communication. No group has yet claimed responsibility for these incidents.

It has been noted that the sabotage did not affect the organization of the Olympic Games. The newspaper recalls that just a day prior, a telephone relay antenna was set on fire near Toulouse. At the crime scene, unknown individuals left a message stating “No to the Olympic Games,” leading media outlets to speculate that these acts of sabotage could have been carried out by opponents of the Olympic events, possibly radical left activists.

On July 26, the opening day of the Paris Olympic Games, France's high-speed rail network was paralyzed due to “coordinated sabotage.” Numerous train services were delayed or canceled, affecting 800,000 passengers. On July 29, Transportation Minister Patrice Vergriete announced that all high-speed train routes had resumed normal operations.