Source: Mirror UK by Peter Allen & Chris Kitching 9/23/20 #TruthBomb2020
The Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated and cordoned off by heavily-armed officers after an anonymous caller told police a bomb was planted at the tourist site
The Eiffel Tower was evacuated for about two hours after an anonymous caller claimed a bomb was planted at the landmark.
Paris police cordoned off a large area around the tourist site in the French capital and urged people to stay away until officers determined it was a hoax.
It is said that an anonymous caller told the police that they had planted a bomb at the site, which is normally visited by tens of thousands of people every day.
Spokespeople for the Eiffel Tower and police said claims that a man had threatened to blow himself up while shouting religious slogans were "fake news".
They were responding to a French journalist's claims on Twitter that a man had said "Allahu Akbar" and "threatened to blow everything up".
French police stand near the Eiffel Tower after the tourism landmark was evacuated ( Reuters)
Police were seen with rifles at the scene as roads and pedestrian paths around the 900ft structure were blocked on Wednesday afternoon.
The drama unfolded after an anonymous caller told police that there was a bomb at the site at around 12pm local time, Actu reported.
A source at the tower said at 1pm: "The Eiffel Tower is currently closed until further notice because of an unidentified caller saying a bomb has been planted. There has been an evacuation.
"Checks are being carried out and a safety perimeter has been set up in the meantime. This is a routine precaution."
An anonymous caller claimed a bomb was planted at the site, it is reported (Image: REUTERS)
The Eiffel Tower was closed for three months during a strict coronavirus lockdown in France.
It reopened with restrictions in June and it has remained open despite a huge spike in cases during the country's second wave of Covid-19.
The so-called ‘Iron Lady’ welcomes more than six million visitors a year, and regularly receives calls concerning security – many of which turn out to be hoaxes.
In 2018, perimeter defences including bulletproof glass screens were placed around the monument to protect against terror threats.
Terrorist groups which have threatened it in recent years include al-Qaeda and ISIS.
It has also been attacked by members of the anti-government Yellow Vest movement, which last year lit fires at the base of the tower, and destroyed perimeter fencing.
In May and October last year, visitors were ordered to leave due to people climbing the tower.
The landmark was evacuated and remained closed for two hours in May 2018 due to a bomb threat that police determined to be a hoax.
In August 2017, a terrorism investigation was launched after a man wielding a knife and shouting the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) tried to force his way in.
A suspicious package led to an evacuation in June 2017. A bomb squad checked the item and found that it did not pose a threat.
The tower was twice evacuated in September 2010 due to bomb threats that turned out to be hoaxes.
Are you at the scene in Paris? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk.
Source: Mirror UK by Peter Allen & Chris Kitching 9/23/20 #TruthBomb2020
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