To protect iconic landmarks in Paris after a series of terrorist attacks, the city has granted $22 million to build a bulletproof wall surrounding the famed Eiffel Tower, one of the country's top tourist destinations. The structure alone will also undergo a series of development within 15 years to further improve security with a budget of $320 million.
The wall is planned to stand eight feet tall that protect only the ground facilities, entrance, and the surrounding gardens. Not only it will be bulletproof, but the wall will be built to withstand cars or trucks trying to bring down the structure - a prevention as a response to the Berlin Christmas market blast.
Deputy Mayor Jean-François Martins said in a press conference, "Sadly, the risk of terrorism hasn't gone away. It's not a wall, it's an aesthetic perimeter." Tourists can still visit the Tower after passing through a gate screening by the entrance.
Though what material the wall will be built with, the mayor said it would depend on the proposed tenders, yet people speculate to having a glass barrier surrounding the Eiffel Tower if the city council meant it to be aesthetically pleasing.
Martins believed that building the wall will not curb tourism and scare away travelers visiting the Tower. "What scares tourists is lack of security, not security," he said. Foot traffic will be closely monitored and reorganized for ease and boost of safety measures.
On June 2016, temporary fences were erected for the Euro Cup with many people claiming the sight to be unpleasant. Additionally, there is a possibility of having two more international events to be held in Paris that when the city launched a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics and the World Expo in the year after.
France has suffered multiple terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of more than 200 people in the past decade. Target locations have been identified as leisure or tourists spots of Nice and Paris.
