On Saturday, August 12, 2023, the Eiffel Tower, one of the most famous landmarks in the world, was evacuated for several hours as Paris police investigated a bomb threat.
The tower’s operator, Sete, said that three floors and the forecourt of the renowned monument were cleared of visitors around 1:30 p.m. local time after an anonymous caller claimed that explosives had been placed inside the tower.
A team of deminers was sent to the site to carry out a survey and secure the area. No explosives were found and the tower reopened at around 3:30 p.m. local time.
Sete spokeswoman Isabelle Esnous told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that these types of situations were rare, but not unknown. She added that the security measures at the tower were very strict and that visitors had to undergo security checks before entry.
The Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair, is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. It receives almost seven million visitors annually and offers a panoramic view of Paris from its three floors and 324-meter height.
The tower has a police station at the foot of its south pillar and its premises are under video surveillance¹.
The bomb threat came amid heightened security concerns in France following a series of terrorist attacks in recent years.
November 2015, a coordinated assault by Islamist militants killed 130 people in Paris, including 90 at the Bataclan concert hall.
In July 2016, a truck driver plowed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 86 people. In October 2020, a teacher was beheaded by an Islamist extremist for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to his students.
April 2021, a female police officer was stabbed to death by a Tunisian national at a police station in Rambouillet.
The French government has declared a state of emergency several times since 2015 and has deployed thousands of soldiers and police officers to protect sensitive sites across the country.
The Eiffel Tower has been targeted by bomb threats before, most notably in 2010 and 2013, but none of them turned out to be credible .
The latest incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of the security measures at the tower and the potential impact on tourism in Paris.
The city has been struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the closure of many cultural venues and reduced the number of foreign visitors. The Eiffel Tower itself was shut down for more than three months in 2020 and reopened with limited capacity and strict hygiene rules.
The bomb threat also comes as France prepares to host several major events in the next few years, including the Rugby World Cup in 2023, the Olympic Games in 2024, and the World Expo in 2025. These events are expected to boost the economy and showcase the country’s cultural diversity and innovation.
However, they also pose significant security challenges and require constant vigilance from the authorities and the public.
The Eiffel Tower remains a symbol of France’s resilience and pride in the face of adversity. It has survived two world wars, a fire, a lightning strike, and numerous renovations. It has also witnessed many historical moments, such as Charles de Gaulle’s speech after the liberation of Paris in 1944, Nelson Mandela’s visit in 1990, and the illumination of its lights in solidarity with various causes and countries.
The tower will continue to shine as a beacon of hope and beauty for millions of people around the world.
