France’s Mont Saint Michel evacuated as cops face threat
Authorities on Sunday evacuated Mont Saint Michel, one of France’s busiest tourist sites, and were searching for a suspect whom witnesses said had threatened to attack local security forces.
A tourist guide reported the man at around 7: 45 am ( 0545 GMT) after he made threatening comments on a shuttle bus carrying visitors to the rocky islet, a UNESCO world heritage site off the coast of Normandy in northwest France.
Top local official JeanMarc Sabathe said the man then got into a fight with a cafe owner and made more threats against security forces.
Police tracked the man’s first movements on CCTV after several other people raised the alarm but they lost sight of him, triggering the evacuation and a helicopter search for the suspect.
“I have evacuated the mount as a precautionary measure because no one knows the real intentions of this individual,” Sabathe told France Bleu radio. “The man was mixed in with the first visitors of the day. There were no shots fired, no weapons. The village will be reopened as soon as security forces are certain that the individual is no longer on the site.”
Local authorities later said the island, which draws more than two million visitors a year with its stunning medieval monastery, would be reopened to the public at 2.00 pm ( 1200 GMT).
Tourists were blocked from entering during the lockdown as around 50 police conducted a housetohouse search.
Holidaymakers were evacuated from hotels and the abbey was shut.
“There was no panic, we were just surprised,” said Denis Surfys, a holidaying journalist.
Xavier Bailly, head of the monastery which looms over the island, said police had ordered him to stay at home.