One of the 8th arrondissement's iconic monuments, the Arc de Triomphe, was evacuated this morning, December 11, 2024, at around 11am, after an individual called the police and told them he was going to blow up the building. As the information has not yet been verified, police have set up a security perimeter around the Arc de Triomphe and the top of the Champs-Élysée, and the monument has been evacuated. The bomb threat has now been lifted.
Several soldiers from the Sentinelle mission quickly arrived on the scene and were stationed around the monument, followed by a dog team searching for explosives. Access to the underground passage beneath theArc de Triomphe was also blocked by police.
The Arc de Triomphe has been linked to a number of bomb scares and attacks throughout its history. In 1995, during the wave of terrorist attacks in France, explosions occurred in the vicinity of the Arc Triomphe, notably at metro stations and in public places, causing widespread alarm. Although the Arc de Triomphe was not directly hit, its location in the heart of Paris made it a potential symbolic target. This time, a police source claims it could just be a telephone hoax.
