Authorities evacuated visitors Tuesday from the Arc de Triomphe due to a bomb alert, according to police.
The area surrounding the iconic Parisian landmark and nearby subway lines were also evacuated, Reuters reports. It is unknown what the source of the alert was at this time, and local reports indicate that the security perimeter at the end of the famous Champs-Elysees has been lifted after the alert was determined to be a false alarm. (RELATED: Memorial March To Be Held In France To Pay Tribute To Teacher Killed After Showing Prophet Muhammad Caricatures)
Tensions in France are heightened after the beheading of a Paris schoolteacher by a radical Islamist who was angry that the teacher had shown his class the images of the Prophet Muhammed that inspired the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in 2015. Multiple arrests have been made in connection to the beheading attack.
Bomb threat at the Arc de Triomphe, in #Paris , #France. The area around the scene has been evacuated including metro stations and part of the #ChampsElyséespic.twitter.com/8kNCkC0MFS
— Shark NewsWires (@SharkNewsWires) October 27, 2020
French authorities have cracked down on potentially dangerous elements of the country’s Muslim community following the attack. This has sparked backlash from some parts of the world in the form of protests, and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a boycott of French goods. France has warned its citizens to be cautious when travelling to Muslim-majority countries going forward, urging them to avoid protests and other large gatherings. The French ambassador to Turkey has also been withdrawn from Ankara.