AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Arsonists attacked French high-speed rail lines just hours before the Olympics' opening ceremony. Tens of thousands of passengers, including Olympic athletes, were stranded for hours. Some were forced to travel in different ways.
French officials opened a criminal investigation, but there has been no official comment on who might be behind the coordinated attacks. They say rail travel should return to normal over the weekend.
And we're joined now by NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Paris, where the Olympics have just kicked off. Hi, Eleanor.
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so walk us through what happened earlier today. Like, how did these attacks unfold?
BEARDSLEY: Well, about 4 a.m. this morning, there were simultaneous, coordinated attacks at three strategic points on high-speed rail networks around France. Three were successful. One failed. Cables were cut. Fires were set. It took place at different strategic rail points on the network out in rural France. It affected three high-speed routes towards the north, the Atlantic Coast and the east. All were severely damaged. Let's listen to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal who spoke about it today.
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PRIME MINISTER GABRIEL ATTAL: (Speaking French).
BEARDSLEY: He said, "this prepared and coordinated operation was carried out on nerve centers of our high-speed rail system." He said those attacks showed "a good knowledge of the system and where to strike."
You know, this has crippled train travel. One Paris station, Montparnasse, was closed. Some 800,000 passengers have been affected. You know, French high-speed trains go nearly 200 miles an hour, Ailsa, and that's how many people get around France for vacation and these Olympic Games. And one of the lines affected, Paris to the northern city of Lille, was used every day by the U.S. basketball team who were staying in Paris and practicing in Lille. And on the high-speed train, it's only an hour.
But out of the four attacks that took place, one was foiled. The saboteurs got away. There's a huge investigation underway led by the Paris prosecutor, the criminal divisions involved, the anti-terrorist division and French intelligence. They really want to catch whoever did this.
CHANG: Absolutely. Well, what is known so far about who could be behind these attacks?
BEARDSLEY: Well, everyone at first thought the Russians because, you know, they're not allowed to participate under their flag because of the war in Ukraine and doping. And European officials have been warning for weeks that Russia may be behind a series of mysterious sabotage attacks in Europe. And French security recently foiled a Russian attack in France.
But now the French media are reporting that law enforcement is leaning towards maybe left-wing extremists who are known to attack infrastructure, and they would have the knowledge. but we just don't know yet.
CHANG: Well, Eleanor, how has all of this affected the Olympic opening ceremony, the mood in the country, as these Games are kicking off?
BEARDSLEY: Right. Well, this morning, the mayor of Paris said right away that it would not affect the opening ceremony of the Games, but it was very jarring coming on this big day and made people realize that these Olympics are a target, and people...
CHANG: Yeah.
BEARDSLEY: ...Knew right away that this was against the - either the opening ceremony or the Games. And, you know, with such massive security presence in Paris, how could this happen? Although, it didn't probably happen in Paris. You know, so earlier today, I would say people seemed really concerned and nervous.
But I have just watched the opening ceremony finish up. There is sheer joy. People are so boosted. The ceremony ended spectacularly on the Seine River despite the rain. And I'm watching from an apartment across from the Louvre, looking down on the river. And here is what Parisian Diane Sophie Lansille, who was also there, told me.
DIANE SOPHIE LANSILLE: I heard this morning, as everyone, when I woke up. And I said, come on, what - how can people do that against something so huge, so beautiful in France? And I have to say, I was shocked rather than worried. No, I wouldn't say worried but rather pissed off, I would say.
CHANG: (Laughter).
BEARDSLEY: Exactly. So I feel like, you know, she's laughing it off. The mood has really changed. We feel like we are now in these Olympic Games. It was a success, whereas earlier, we were sort of, like, oh, is this the beginning of something going wrong? Things went well, and I think people are feeling very positive and very strong now.
CHANG: That is very reassuring to hear. And that is NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Paris. Thank you so much, Eleanor.
BEARDSLEY: You're welcome, Ailsa. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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