General Discussion

Renew Deal

(82,655 posts) Fri Jul 26, 2024, 11:47 PM Jul 26

There's been no discussion of the arson attacks against French rail lines on Friday

PARIS (AP) — Arsonists attacked France’s high-speed rail network early Friday, setting fires that paralyzed train travel to Paris for some 800,000 people across Europe, including athletes heading to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Targeting remote locations far from the capital, the apparently coordinated attacks sought to cut off rail routes into the city from all directions. The fires were predominantly set in pipes containing critical signaling cables for the system known as the TGV.

There were no reports of injuries. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the damage would not affect the ceremony in which 7,000 Olympic athletes were due to sail down the Seine past iconic Parisian monuments such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum and the Musee d’Orsay.

Fires were reported before dawn near the tracks on three separate lines, causing widespread disruptions. Another arson attempt, in the south in Vergigny, was thwarted by rail agents who scared off several suspects.
-snip-

https://apnews.com/article/france-trains-olympics-74c9727d33ac86bfc126f98e45cb874f

Not sure why this hasn't gotten much coverage on DU. It's a very serious incident and may be an act of war depending on who did it.

8 replies

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Highlight:

There's been no discussion of the arson attacks against French rail lines on Friday (Original Post) Renew Deal Jul 26 OP

I don't think that we're Francophobic Arthur_Frain Jul 26 #1

This is not about the olympics Renew Deal Jul 26 #2

I'm sorry. Arthur_Frain Jul 27 #4

It's in LBN ... Princess Turandot Jul 26 #3

I'd bet on Russia/Belarus. moondust Jul 27 #5

The foiled attack on the southern line gives one line of inquiry; perhaps another attempt was made in May muriel_volestrangler Jul 27 #6

NBC covered it during their Olympic Opening broadcast yesterday afternoon. Fla Dem Jul 27 #7

Possible FSB agent Kirill Gryaznov Meowmee Jul 27 #8

Arthur_Frain

(1,997 posts)

1. I don't think that we're Francophobic

Reply to Renew Deal (Original post)

Fri Jul 26, 2024, 11:51 PM

Jul 26

I think we have a shit ton on our plate to discuss vis a vis Kamala's VP pick and tsf's descent into autocratic wet dreams. France seems very far away right now, and despite the seriousness of the sabotage, I think there's many of us that view the olympics as an afterthought right now.

Renew Deal

(82,655 posts)

2. This is not about the olympics

Reply to Arthur_Frain (Reply #1)

Fri Jul 26, 2024, 11:54 PM

Jul 26

It's about arson attacks on rail systems in France on the opening day of the Olympics. They were not accidents.

Arthur_Frain

(1,997 posts)

4. I'm sorry.

Reply to Renew Deal (Reply #2)

Sat Jul 27, 2024, 12:07 AM

Jul 27

Are you saying this wasn't because France is hosting the olympics and it give the disruptors a bully pulpit?

I think that's disingenuous. If the olympics weren't opening in France today, this wouldn't have happened.

Princess Turandot

(4,810 posts)

3. It's in LBN ...

Reply to Renew Deal (Original post)

Fri Jul 26, 2024, 11:56 PM

Jul 26

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143279350

It was posted quite early relative to US time (4:35 ET)

moondust

(20,282 posts)

5. I'd bet on Russia/Belarus.

Reply to Renew Deal (Original post)

Sat Jul 27, 2024, 12:55 AM

Jul 27

Last edited Sat Jul 27, 2024, 11:19 AM - Edit history (1)

Revenge operation for being countries banned from the Olympics.

15 athletes from Russia and 18 from neighboring Belarus are slated to compete as "Individual Neutral Athletes," or AINs for short...meaning that Russian and Belarusian flags, national anthems and uniforms will be absent from the Paris Games.

ETA:
July 13: U.S. officials warn of Russia's sabotage operations in Europe

May 10: Suspected Russian sabotage: The great return of Kremlin agents to Europe?

July 9: Intelligence on Russian sabotage threat prompted increase in security at US military bases in Europe

Another motive:
July 26: EU transfers 1.5 billion euros from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine

muriel_volestrangler

(102,047 posts)

6. The foiled attack on the southern line gives one line of inquiry; perhaps another attempt was made in May

Reply to Renew Deal (Original post)

Sat Jul 27, 2024, 04:05 AM

Jul 27

It was about 1.15am when the SNCF maintenance workers, carrying out repairs by moonlight, spotted the group of people a little further down the railway line near a signal box outside the sleepy village of Vergigny, in the northern French department of Yonne.

They were concerned enough by the unlikely sight at such an hour to approach the intruders, and then to make a call to the local police as those they had interrupted ran off into the dark.
...
Beyond charred cables and the fleeting sight of some of the arsonists, a further line of inquiry did emerge on Friday.

An incendiary device had also been discovered on the Aix-Marseille TGV line on 8 May, it was revealed, when the Olympic flame was arriving in the region.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/26/who-launched-attack-on-the-french-rail-network-and-why