The Minister of Transport, Patrice Vergriet, has confirmed the number of incendiary devices detected in the last few hours by the authorities on the railway network throughout France. 

In an interview with French TV station TF1, the French minister said that incendiary devices had been found, but held no one responsible for the attacks on the rail network. He characterized the attacks as a criminal act, while the security forces were on alert.

Around 25% of train services between Paris and London were canceled yesterday, the day of the official opening of the Olympic Games in France, but they have also been canceled for today and tomorrow after the sabotage of the high-speed TGV train network caused serious problems for the whole of the French rail network, Eurostar said.

The connection between Paris and Brussels has also been affected. The whole of the French railway network presents significant problems, except for the lines towards the south-east of France.

In addition to the cancellation of services, all high-speed trains to and from Paris are now diverted from the classic line and therefore run at a reduced speed, Eurostar said.

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The glittering opening ceremony and draconian security measures

For the first time in history, the opening ceremony was not held inside a stadium, as the French capital wishes to highlight its Parisian attractions. A six-kilometer river parade took place along the Seine – passing Notre Dame and the Louvre – with almost 600,000 people in attendance.

Nearly 100 boats carried some 10,500 athletes along the city’s main waterway.

At the river, members of the anti-terrorist squad of the police had been deployed on the river banks and were also in boats along the river. Still, there were snipers on the rooftops. The BRI, Considered the special forces unit of the French police, has been deployed alongside helicopter patrols and special units to prevent the flight of unmanned aircraft. The center of Paris became a no-fly zone.

A total of 45,000 police officers will be deployed during the games, along with 18,000 military personnel and around 20,000 personnel from private security companies. The biggest fear of the French security forces is, of course, a terrorist attack, either against the athletes or against the spectators.

This is why so much effort has gone into controlling traffic in the city. The highest level of security has been obtained for heads of state as well as for athletes from Israel. 

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