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Russia link suspected in Eiffel Tower coffin mystery

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French intelligence officials believe Russia orchestrated a stunt involving five coffins draped in French flags, labeled “French soldiers of Ukraine,” placed near the Eiffel Tower. Three men, seen arriving in a van on Saturday morning, left the coffins, which contained plaster sacks. Police quickly apprehended the driver, a Bulgarian who claimed he was paid €40 by two others to transport the coffins. These two, a Ukrainian and a German, were later caught at Bercy coach station while attempting to board a bus to Berlin. They admitted to being paid €400 to deposit the coffins. All three were presented before a judge on Sunday as a judicial investigation began for “violence with premeditation.”

This incident is being investigated to determine if it was orchestrated from abroad, recalling two recent events where French police suspect Russian involvement. In October, Stars of David resembling the Israeli flag were stenciled in Paris after a Hamas attack on Israel. A Moldovan couple, believed to have been paid by Russian intelligence, was arrested. Last month, red hands were painted on a Holocaust memorial in Paris, with suspects fleeing abroad. One individual involved in the coffins incident had contact with a Bulgarian suspect linked to the red-hands affair, identified as Georgi F. by Le Monde.

Tensions between France and Russia have risen, partly due to President Emmanuel Macron’s stance on potentially sending French soldiers to Ukraine. Recently, discussions about sending French military instructors to Ukraine have intensified, which investigators think might have prompted Russian intelligence to stage the coffins stunt to demonstrate opposition to deeper French involvement in the Ukraine war. Previous incidents included teams with photographers whose images appeared on Russian propaganda websites.

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Eiffel Tower in Paris set to reopen after six-day strike

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The Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, recently experienced a six-day closure due to strikes by workers protesting the management practices of its operator, Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE). These strikes disrupted plans for visitors and resulted in significant financial losses for the company.

The primary grievances of the striking workers revolved around SETE’s business model, which they alleged overestimated future visitor numbers while neglecting essential maintenance and renovation needs. Union representatives accused SETE of prioritizing short-term profitability over the long-term preservation of the monument.

Initially planned as a five-day strike, workers voted to extend it to six days after rejecting SETE’s initial proposal. This decision underscored the depth of dissatisfaction among employees regarding the company’s management practices and the condition of the Eiffel Tower.

However, after negotiations between SETE and the unions, an agreement was eventually reached. This agreement included provisions for regular monitoring of the company’s business model and significant investment in maintenance and renovation until 2031, totaling approximately €380 million. Additionally, there were discussions about potentially classifying the Eiffel Tower as a “historical monument” to enable state funding for necessary works, as suggested by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati.

This recent strike at the Eiffel Tower echoes a previous protest in December, coinciding with the centenary of Gustave Eiffel’s death. Gustave Eiffel, a renowned civil engineer, is best known for his design of the Eiffel Tower, which was intended to showcase France’s industrial prowess during the 1889 Paris Exposition.

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Eiffel Tower Evacuated Following Bomb Alert

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Following a bomb alert, all three levels of the iconic Eiffel Tower were evacuated on Saturday, as reported by France BFMTV, a CNN affiliate. Currently, a team of experts in explosives is present at the site to conduct an assessment in response to the threat.

At present, the Eiffel Tower remains shut down, as per BFMTV’s report. With an annual influx of nearly seven million visitors to this renowned Parisian tourist spot, the precautionary measures are notable.

For security purposes, the monument has a law enforcement station situated at the base of its southern pillar. The entire premises are subjected to constant video surveillance, and visitors are required to undergo stringent security screenings before they are granted entry.

Although evacuations are infrequent, they are not unprecedented. In 2019, the monument had to be evacuated and temporarily closed after an individual was seen ascending its exterior.

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