Boycott before the Olympics

Arson attacks: Investigators have explosive suspicions

(Bild: AFP)

Following the attacks on the French train network, investigators are now pursuing a new lead: A group critical of the Olympics has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the French high-speed train network in a strange letter.

According to a report in the newspaper "Le Parisien", the attacks on France's rail network could have a radical left-wing and Olympic-critical background. An unusual letter of confession with links to the ultra-left has been sent to several French and international media outlets.

"You call it a celebration? We see it as a celebration of nationalism, a gigantic staging of the subjugation of the population by the states," the newspaper quotes.

On the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, suspected arson attacks on technical equipment paralyzed large parts of French rail traffic.

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AFP)

Investigators are now looking into whether this is a genuine claim of responsibility - which is suspected - or whether it is a case of copycats falsely claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reported progress in the investigation on Saturday: "We have discovered a certain number of elements that allow us to think that we will soon know who is responsible."

Fires set on lines
On Friday night - just a few hours before the official opening of the Olympic Games in Paris - unknown persons set fires on several TGV lines. Important connections were damaged, causing delays and train cancellations. More than 800,000 passengers were affected. The public prosecutor's office launched an investigation into damage to public interests.