Paris Is Building Bulletproof Walls Around Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower will soon be protected by bulletproof glass walls 7 feet tall as part of a plan to prevent attacks at the monument, Parisian authorities said on Thursday.
The walls, costing $25M, will be built later this year at the northern and southern ends of the landmark, the city said in a statement. On the western and eastern sides, “inelegant temporary” barriers that were thrown up around the 324-meter tower during last year’s Euro 2016 football tournament will be replaced by ornate fencing.
Deputy mayor Jean-Francois Martins told a news conference: “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.”
The glass walls will prevent individuals or vehicles storming the site, which is visited by six million people a year, he added.
Some politicians quoted by Le Parisien newspaper said they feared the walls would turn the tower into a “fortress”. They feared it could turn off tourists who simply want to have their pictures snapped under the tower without visiting the Iron Lady. Martins said visitors would continue to have access to the foot of the tower – after undergoing security checks – free of charge.
