Paris to build a "wall" around Eiffel Tower as terrorism

Posted: Jun 30, 2017

Americans are still waiting for a border wall, but France is set to get a wall of their own by the end of the year. Unlike the American iteration, this barrier won’t be erected on the French border. It’s set to surround the Eiffel Tower to shield it from terrorist attacks. Last month, the Paris city council approved a $20 million bulletproof glass wall, just over 8 feet high, that will surround the iconic tower. In a country proudly obsessed with art and beauty, this will be an obnoxious eyesore and a reminder that war and violence is just a breath away in the seemingly pacific city of romance. Paris, like so many other European cities, has become ground zero for relentless terrorist attacks by Islamists. I recently had the opportunity to visit France as a tourist, and enjoyed it immensely. The food was amazing (of course), and the service surprisingly friendly. Perhaps this is because the country has been inundated by terrorist attacks and the people are just happy that tourists still decide to show up. A recent report showed that the tourism industry in Paris suffered a stunning $750 million drop and a decline of about a million visitors from 2015 to 2016. The heightened level of security struck me as I traveled through the northern part of the country, especially when I was in Paris. The City of Lights is now constantly patrolled by men in military uniforms with rifles at the ready. When I visited the Hôtel National des Invalides, a national military history museum, a soldier with rifle drawn sifted through my belongings at the gate to make sure I didn’t have anything suspicious. These are scenes that, fortunately, are still quite uncommon in the United States.;