Access to the train carrying the Euro 2016 Trophy has been blocked “for security reasons” on arrival in Paris, according to championship officials. Anti-labor law protests are ongoing at the capital’s Gare du Nord.
Usually, football fans are allowed to enter the train and take a look at the trophy, however access to it was blocked on Wednesday due to ongoing anti-labor law protests, tour spokeswoman Shirley Ribeiro told AP.
UEFA tweeted that these actions were taken “due to security reasons.”
The train has traveled via 25 cities, spending three days in each location that is hosting Euro 2016 matches. The trophy is in the first carriage of the train, which was specially refurbished as a football museum that can be visited by fans.
Over the past two months, France has been engulfed by massive strikes and demonstrations, which often have turned violent.
Many workers’ trade unions have staged strikes in oil and transport sectors to protest against the labor reforms which, according to the unions, will make it easier and cheaper to make employees redundant.
Euro 2016 has become a bargaining chip in the workers’ negotiations with the French authorities: 1.5 million foreign visitors are set to arrive for the championship.
"No one would understand if the trains or the planes...prevented the smooth transport...of spectators," Hollande said on Sunday. "I want this [labor dispute] to be resolved.”
Euro 2016 expectations have also been marred by terrorism scares. In the end of May, a Frenchman was detained on the Ukraine-Poland border with weapons and explosives. Ukrainian intelligence claims that the man was plotting attacks during the championship on Jewish and Muslim places of worship.
Some 13,000 security forces are set to guard all tournament events.