French authorities are planning to erect a bulletproof anti-terror barrier around the Eiffel Towel, according to published reports.
The structure, which may be made of glass, is the latest anti-terror measure in a country that has been hit with a spate of radical Islamic terror attacks in recent years.
“Sadly, the risk of terrorism hasn’t gone away,” Bloomberg quoted Paris’ deputy mayor Jean-François Martins as saying during a press conference. “It’s not a wall, it’s an aesthetic perimeter.”
The New York Times quoted Martins as saying: “It could be glass, it could also be wrought iron.”
A metal fence was built around the tower last year, and armed soldiers are a regular site around the tower. And, even after the barrier is constructed, guests will likely be able to visit the base of the famed tower at no cost, but will have to first pass through a security checkpoint, reports suggest.