Man Arrested for Climbing Eiffel Tower Hours Before Olympics Closing Ceremony

A shirtless man was arrested after scaling the Eiffel Tower in Paris just hours before the closing ceremony of the Olympics, prompting a swift evacuation of the iconic landmark.

The shirtless man was spotted just above the Olympic rings this afternoon (Picture: Getty Images)

The incident occurred earlier this afternoon when French authorities were forced to clear the area around the Eiffel Tower. The man, who was seen climbing the structure without any climbing gear, managed to ascend above the Olympic rings, reaching a point just above the first viewing deck.

Eyewitnesses captured the unusual scene on social media. In one video posted on X, a startled observer can be heard saying, “A dude is climbing the Eiffel Tower. He just passed the blue ring. I don’t think he is wearing a shirt. Uh, that is crazy.” The footage shows the man scaling the tower in only black shorts and shoes, with no visible climbing equipment.

Kevin Winston, who shared the video on X, commented, “Some guy is climbing on the Olympic Rings at the Eiffel Tower. You can see him on the blue ring. Tourists are being evacuated for safety, and entry beneath the tower is closed. He took ‘climb the Eiffel Tower’ too literally!”

Many eyewitnesses below spotted him climbing just above the blue ring (Picture: AP)

In another video, the bare-chested climber can be heard saying, “Bloody warm, innit,” as he was escorted off the viewing platform by police. Visitors were briefly confined to the second floor of the 1,083-foot-high tower but were allowed to leave after approximately 30 minutes.

Some guy is climbing on the Olympic Rings at the Eiffel Tower. You can see him on the blue ring.

Tourists are being evacuated for safety. Entry beneath the tower is closed.

He took 'climb the Eiffel Tower' too literally! #Olympics #Paris2024 @NBCOlympics @NBCNews @latimes pic.twitter.com/01BFmJqTOV

— kevinwinston (@kevinwinston) August 11, 2024

A Paris police official confirmed, “An individual started climbing the Eiffel Tower at 2:45 p.m.; police intervened, and the person was detained.”

The tower operator did not immediately respond to requests for comment. As the Olympics near their conclusion, over 30,000 police officers have been deployed across Paris to ensure security during the closing ceremony.

Video footage on social media shows this blonde man resembling the man who scaled the tower. He is taken away by police in handcuffs (Picture: @mchristian__ /X)

France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, announced that around 3,000 police officers would be stationed around the Stade de France for the event. Additionally, 20,000 police and security personnel are set to remain on duty in Paris and Saint-Denis until late into the night to guarantee public safety.

More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed to Paris, ready for this evening’s Olympics closing ceremony (Picture: Reuters)

The closing ceremony promises a grand celebration with performances by artists such as Billie Eilish, marking a spectacular end to the Games.