France shuts down Eiffel Tower following night of clashes with football fans
France has closed down the Eiffel Tower for safety reasons after a night of clashes with football fans following the final of the Euro 2016 football tournament.
"The current situation does not permit us to open under adequate safety conditions," said the spokesman for the company which runs the tower on Monday.
The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most popular tourist sites and attracts over seven million visitors every year. According to statistics, almost 90 percent of the tower’s visitors are foreign tourists.
On Sunday night, Portugal beat France 1-0 to clinch its first European football Championship title. Thousands of fans had gathered underneath the famous landmark to watch the match on huge screens.
As the “fan zone” beneath the Eiffel reached its 90,000-capacity, police were forced to use teargas and water cannons to break up the crowd.
Around 40 people were arrested in the ensuing clashes.
The country has been under emergency rule since Daesh terrorists killed 130 people in November in a series of attacks, one of which outside the Stade de France, where the final was held.
On Monday, French Interior Minister Barnard Cazeneuve announced that despite some fan violence, notably between Russian and British fans early on, the tournament had run smoothly.
"France was able to remain France," he said, adding that the country would still remain on maximum security alert.
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