Paris adds blackout to list after robberies, assaults and controversy at the opening
A massive blackout in Paris briefly disrupted the City of Light, causing concern and increasing police surveillance
In the midst of the celebration of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the French capital, known as the 'City of Light', experienced a massive blackout on the night of Saturday, July 27. The power outage affected several neighborhoods in Paris, temporarily plunging this iconic city into darkness.
Videos shared on social media showed Paris in semi-darkness, with lighting limited to some of the most emblematic places where Olympic activities take place. Although power was quickly restored to tourist areas and key Olympic sites by emergency generators, some areas remained without electricity for about an hour.
The power outage prompted increased surveillance activities by security forces. Patrols increased their rounds and officers carefully inspected pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Fortunately, due to the timing of the blackout, no Olympic competitions were affected, as it occurred at a time when no events were scheduled.
The unexpected blackout has raised concerns about possible future failures during the next two weeks of competitions. The situation comes just days after a system failure affected France's high-speed train network hours before the Olympic opening ceremony.
Despite the incident, the first day of the Olympics passed off without any major setbacks in the scheduled competitions. However, security remains a major issue.
Paris continues to be the subject of criticism due to a series of recent incidents. In addition to the blackout, there are several controversies, such as the robberies suffered by the Argentine football team and Australian cyclists, the complaint of an Australian woman who was abused by five men, and the controversy at the opening ceremony, which many have considered an act of "Sodom and Gomorrah."
The heightened surveillance led to incidents such as the eviction of a man from the Auber station to examine his suitcase and the arrest of a driver whose car was surrounded by five patrol cars. These situations have generated fear among citizens and tourists, who relate these events with possible attacks.
The blackout did not interrupt the night competitions of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but it has left a trail of concern in the city.