A security alert was issued in the La Motte-Picquet area of Paris’s 15th arrondissement on Saturday following a false bomb threat at a local McDonald’s restaurant. Authorities received a call claiming that an explosive device had been planted inside the establishment, prompting an immediate response from law enforcement. Police cordoned off a 100 to 200-meter radius around the restaurant, declaring it a secure zone.
According to local mayor Philippe Goujon, the threat was reported around 1 p.m. National and municipal police units, along with military personnel from Operation Sentinelle, were deployed to the scene. Several commercial streets and sections of Boulevard de Grenelle were closed to both pedestrians and vehicles as a precaution.
A local resident, Etienne, who was near La Motte-Picquet Avenue at the time, said, “Metro services have been suspended, and we were told it was due to a bomb threat, but no further details are available yet.” Metro Line 6 was temporarily halted between Trocadéro and Raspail stations, with services resuming around 4 p.m.
After a thorough inspection by the bomb disposal team, the security alert was lifted shortly before 4 p.m. Mayor Goujon noted, “It appears that multiple false threats were reported simultaneously at various locations.” He added, “Such incidents have increased recently, and while they fortunately turn out to be hoaxes, they require significant security measures each time.”
This incident follows a similar false alarm on December 11, when the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris was evacuated due to a bomb threat. The alert was lifted after an hour, and police have since launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the hoax.
The latest incident has raised concerns among residents, though authorities have reassured the public that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.
