On Monday morning, the French Interior Minister said that far-left activists were behind the sabotage of railway infrastructure, which caused transportation chaos on Friday – mere hours before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. Shortly thereafter, the first suspect was reported arrested: identified as a far-left activist, he was apprehended Sunday in northern France at a facility of SNCF, the national railway company.
In the early hours of Friday, unidentified individuals vandalized the infrastructure of SNCF's high-speed rail lines at several strategic points across France. These acts of sabotage, which included setting fire to signaling systems at stations, caused severe disruptions to train services, affecting over 800,000 passengers.
It was only on Monday morning that Transport Minister Patrice Vergriet announced that high-speed rail services had returned to normal – three days after the chaos erupted. Meanwhile, a French police source reported to AFP news agency additional acts of vandalism: According to the source, during the night, unknown individuals sabotaged fiber optic infrastructure in six regions of the country. Paris was not affected by these acts of vandalism.
According to reports, during the night, communication facilities belonging to SFR and Bouygues Telecom were vandalized. The facilities are located in southern France, near the border with Luxembourg in the north, and in the Oise department near Paris. The French government stated that the vandalism affects the operation of both landline and mobile phones in the affected areas, and efforts are underway to restore normal operations.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in a statement on Monday morning that France had managed to confirm the identities of some of the suspects in the sabotage of high-speed rail lines and is conducting a manhunt. On Sunday, the first suspect was arrested: France reported the arrest of a far-left activist at an SNCF facility, noting that he is suspected of involvement in Friday's sabotage.
The Interior Minister added that the sabotage of the railway infrastructure "was deliberate, precise and highly targeted. This is the modus operandi of the far-left." The news site France 24 reported that far-left anarchists had previously been responsible for arson attacks on railway infrastructure.
Over the weekend, there were speculations that Russia might be involved in the acts of vandalism. Darmanin noted that it is not yet clear if the vandals acted on behalf of an external entity and were "manipulated" or acted "for their personal benefit." The Kremlin today dismissed the speculations linking Russia to the acts of vandalism as false. "The Western media tries to blame Russia for everything," stated the Kremlin.
Following the disruptions to train services, a statement was sent to several media outlets in France by an anonymous organization calling itself "Unexpected Delegation." The statement expressed support for the vandalism and claimed that the Olympics is a "celebration of nationalism" and oppression. Darmanin said that while the statement reinforces the suspicion that the action was carried out by the far-left, caution must be exercised at this stage, and definitive conclusions should be avoided.