Published on : Friday, February 10, 2017
The Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris and one of the top global tourist destinations, will soon be protected by bulletproof glass walls 2.5 metres high, part of a plan to prevent attacks at the monument, the city said.
“The terror threat remains high in Paris, and the most vulnerable sites, starting with the Eiffel Tower, must be the object of special security measures,” deputy mayor Jean-Francois Martins told a press conference.
The glass walls will prevent individuals or vehicles storming the site visited by six million people each year, he added.
The walls costing some €20 million (US$21.4 million) will be erected this autumn at the northern and southern ends of the monument area.
On the western and eastern sides, “inelegant temporary” barriers that were thrown up around the 324-metre tower during the Euro 2016 football tournament in France last year will be replaced by ornate fencing.
Some councillors quoted by Le Parisien newspaper said they feared the walls would turn the iconic tower into a “fortress”.
They could turn off tourists who simply want to have their pictures snapped under the tower without visiting the venerable Iron Lady.
Martins said that visitors will continue to have access to the foot of the tower – after undergoing security checks – free of charge.
Tags: Global tourist
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