A British man who was seen climbing the Eiffel Tower on the last day of the Paris 2024 Olympics has been released from police custody but remains under investigation for illegal activity at a historic site, according to French prosecutors.
The police evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower on Sunday afternoon after a shirtless man was spotted ascending the 330-meter (1,083-foot) landmark just hours before the Olympic Games’ closing ceremony. It remains unclear where he began his climb, but he was observed above the Olympic rings displayed on the tower’s second level, just above the first observation deck. The police quickly intervened and arrested the man.
Prosecutors have initiated an investigation citing charges of “endangering the lives of others and illegal presence at a historic or cultural site,” according to a statement from the Paris public prosecutor’s office. The decision to release the man from police custody was announced on Monday. He has been identified as a British citizen, although his name has not been disclosed.
The Eiffel Tower was the focal point of the elaborate opening ceremony held by the Seine River, where singer Celine Dion entertained the city from one of the tower’s observation decks. The tower played a prominent role during the extraordinary two-and-a-half weeks of Olympic competition but was not part of the closing ceremony, which took place at Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis.
Over 30,000 police officers and security personnel were deployed throughout Paris on Sunday to ensure safety on the final day of the Olympics and the star-studded closing show at France’s national stadium.