Central Paris locks down for the Olympics as athletes arrive
On Thursday, French security police began closing down major portions of central Paris in preparation for the immensely complex Olympic opening ceremony on the Seine River next week.
The opening procession along six kilometers (four miles) of the river resulted in the closure of riverbank central districts to most cars at 5:00 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Thursday.
Anyone wishing to enter the highest-security “grey zone” along both sides of the Seine, such as residents or tourists with hotel reservations in the area, must present a security pass in the form of a QR code.
The City of Light is evolving ahead of the July 26-August 11 Olympics, when almost 10 million spectators are expected.
Temporary sports stadiums have sprouted up in popular spots like the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, and the Place de la Concorde, while new Olympic VIP lanes are the newest traffic-clogging addition.
It’s true that our concept of having a huge number of temporary locations in the heart of the city has some limitations, but I believe people are realizing what we’re doing,” Paris 2024 director general Etienne Thobois told AFP last month.
Many important Metro stations will also be closed on Thursday until the day following the opening ceremony, which will feature 6,000-7,000 athletes sailing down the Seine on approximately 100 barges and river boats.
It will be the first Summer Olympics to begin outside of the main athletics stadium, with up to 500,000 spectators expected to watch from stands, river banks, and overlooking apartments.
Village opens
The massive security operation has been causing senior police officers to sweat since it was revealed in 2021 because to the impossibility of securing so many spectators in such a large, tightly packed city region.
Around 45,000 officers will be on duty for the July 26 parade, along with thousands of military and private security personnel.
On Wednesday, police in eastern France announced the arrest of a suspected far-right extremist who had threatened the Games in a Telegram phone group.
Some Paris residents are angry by the placement of tens of thousands of metal security barriers along the opening ceremony path, which makes them feel boxed in.
It’s a bit like being in Planet of the Apes,” Aissa Yago, who lives on the Ile Saint Louis in central Paris, told AFP this week from behind a barrier. “All they need to do is throw us some peanuts.”
Elsewhere on Thursday, the first athletes are set to arrive to take up residence in the newly built Olympic Village in a northern suburb of the capital.
Comprising around 40 different low-rise housing blocs, the complex has been built as a showcase of innovative construction techniques using low-carbon concrete, water recycling and reclaimed building materials.
It was intended to be free of air-conditioning, although Olympic delegations have ordered around 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes out of fear of the impact of high temperatures on their performances.
The key countries will arrive on the first day… so Great Britain, the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, and Switzerland,” Andre-Pierre Goubert, deputy head of the French delegation, told AFP.
At maximum capacity, the community will accommodate 14,500 people, including 9,000 athletes.
The Olympics will be followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.
AFP
