Paris, France - A man climbed the Eiffel Tower on Saturday and draped the US flag on Paris' most iconic landmark, in a dangerous celebration of the US' 250th anniversary, police said.
The man was spotted on Saturday afternoon climbing the tower between the second and third floors and attempting to hang an American flag from the iconic structure.
He was arrested and the forecourt, as well as the second and third floors, were evacuated for a while, likely due to safety concerns if he were to fall.
The climber gave no explanation for his motives, police said, though it is likely that the stunt was meant as a celebration of the US' 250 years of independence. His flag, however, was promptly taken down.
Seven million tourists pay to see the 1063-foot tower each year. Unveiled in 1889 for the World Fair in Paris by engineer Gustave Eiffel, the "Iron Lady" has since become the French capital's symbol.
As such, the Eiffel Tower was actually lit up in spectacular colors on Saturday night, displaying "USA 250" on its first floor in an ostentatious celebration of the US' birthday.
While French President Emmanuel Macron did not openly celebrate the US' 250th anniversary, he did share a picture on X of the statue of liberty against the backdrop of several airplanes painting the French flag in the sky.