Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (2024)

Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (1)Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (2)AFP

A scrum of disappointed tourists stared, wistfully, through the maze of metal fences lining the River Seine. Ahead of them, Notre Dame cathedral and other Parisian treasures lay, tantalisingly, out of reach.

“We don’t have a code,” said a woman from Mexico, watching others – armed with the requisite QR security code – pass, with an approving beep, through a police checkpoint.

Further downstream, beside the Eiffel Tower, a weary couple trailing large suitcases performed a slow U-turn on a crowded pavement.

“Closed. You’ll have to walk around,” a French gendarme had just told them, gesturing towards the south.

As Paris prepares to unveil its unique Olympic opening ceremony – a river-based extravaganza that will see athletes on burnished barges being paraded through the heart of the French capital on Friday evening – the country’s police and armed forces are laying the finishing touches to an equally unprecedented security operation.

Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (3)Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (4)

“We are ready,” declared a cheerful President Emmanuel Macron, his customary swagger seemingly undented by weeks of political turmoil prompted by his recent shock decision to dissolve the French parliament.

The security operation – the phrase hardly does justice to the scale of it – involves the largest peacetime deployment of security forces in French history, with up to 75,000 police, soldiers and hired guards on patrol in Paris at any one time.

Roads and metro stations have been closed. Some 44,000 barriers have been erected. And an elaborate system of QR codes has been set up for residents and others seeking access to the river Seine and its islands.

There have, inevitably, been teething problems and frustrations in a city that would ordinarily be teeming with unrestricted foreign tourists.

“I’m a little bit worried. I’ve never seen it so calm. Ninety percent of clients have gone,” said a waiter, Omar Benabdallah, 25, surveying a pavement’s worth of empty tables on the Île de la Cité.

But the French authorities insist the disruption will be both brief – many of the barricades along the Seine will be removed after Friday’s opening ceremony – and worthwhile, with the world treated to a spectacular show celebrating Paris’s history and beauty.

Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (5)Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (6)Google

“I wouldn’t describe it as a nightmare. We’re focused, and determined,” said Gen Lionel Catar with a half-smile. He’s responsible for coordinating the work of some 5,500 French troops brought into the capital.

Gen Catar acknowledged the “exceptional” scale of the Olympic and Paralympic security operation but explained that it had evolved out of France’s pre-existing Opération Sentinelle, a decade-old response to a string of deadly attacks by Islamist groups and individuals.

“We have demining teams. We have dog teams. There are anti-drone systems, radars, and divers patrolling the River Seine,” said Gen Catar.

The decision to move the operational headquarters from the outskirts of Paris to the grand, sprawling, “École Militaire,” behind the Eiffel Tower was based on advice from UK police following their experience of the 2012 London Olympics.

“I think their headquarters were a bit far from the city centre. They advised us to be close to the politicians in charge and to the police,” he said.

Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (7)Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (8)

Some 250 British officers – and 50 police dogs - will be in France over the coming weeks, with some joining French foot patrols around the centre of Paris. They are among 1,750 foreign police from dozens of countries taking part in the operation, including Spain, Germany, South Korea and Qatar.

“We’re envisaging nearly half a million UK citizens coming to enjoy the Games. It’s the first time we’ve been able to deploy officers to a major event [abroad] in this way,” said Chief Superintendent Matt Lawler, head of the National Police Coordination Centre.

There has also been direct military cooperation between France and the UK on anti-drone technology, particularly during the opening ceremony.

French officials say there have been no specific threats made towards the Games, but that they’re concerned about “militarised terrorism” – either from abroad or within France. They’re also focused on the risk of cyber-attacks that could target ticketing systems and other infrastructure.

Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (9)Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (10)

In recent months the government has expressed growing anger at what it believes is a Kremlin-backed online campaign to raise exaggerated fears about security for – and about French preparedness at - the Olympics.

“Interference and distortion of information is not only being carried out by Russia, but also by other countries that we’re watching closely. We’re not naïve. We’re hoping an Olympic truce will be observed…. by all countries,” said Gerald Darmanin, France’s interior minister.

On Tuesday, French police arrested a Russian man suspected of plotting acts of “destabilisation” during the Games.

Earlier on the same day, on the outskirts of Paris, an elite squad of French police carried out another rehearsal for a hostage situation onboard a bus. Amid gunfire and loud explosions, the unit – the same to have responded to the 2015 Bataclan attack – rescued civilian actors trapped inside the bus.

“We’re feeling impatient. We’ve spent more than two years preparing for these Games. Let’s hope we will not have to take any action,” said the unit’s commander, Simon Riondet.

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Paris Olympics: Huge security operation under way as Games near (2024)

FAQs

How did the Olympics Paris security? ›

The Seine's riverbed has been swept for bombs, and Paris' airspace will be closed. For the Games more generally, radar-surveillance planes and Reaper drones will monitor sensitive sites from above, and Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be on standby to intercept aircraft straying into restricted airspace.

What happened at the Olympic opening ceremony in 2024? ›

A banquet sequence featuring drag artists in particular came in for criticism from Christian groups, who felt it parodied Leonardo da Vinci's painting 'The Last Supper'. That famous 15th Century work depicts a key biblical scene.

How many police are in Paris for the Olympics? ›

An unprecedented opening ceremony calls for an exceptional police presence. On July 26, some 45,000 officers of internal security forces will be mobilized around the Seine and on the streets of Paris. In addition, 2,000 private security guards will also be on hand, to guard the entrances to the lower quays.

What are the 5 new sports for the 2024 Olympics? ›

There are several new sports at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which starts on Friday, July 26. Breaking will make its Olympic debut, while sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing are all set to appear at the Games for just the second time after featuring at the 2020 Japan Olympics.

How many condoms are passed out at the Olympics? ›

In Tokyo, organizers of the 2021 Summer Games announced plans to distribute 150,000 condoms only as a parting gift, to bring back to their home countries to raise awareness about HIV and AIDs.

How did the Olympics turn Paris into a security fortress? ›

France has rolled out an unprecedented peacetime security operation to secure the event. Some 45,000 police and thousands of soldiers have been deployed, airspace around the Greater Paris region shut down, and snipers positioned on rooftops.

Did France apologize for Last Supper? ›

The organising committee of Paris 2024 has apologised to Catholics and other Christian groups who were outraged by a scene during the opening ceremony that evoked Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper painting with drag queens, a transgender model and a singer made up as the Greek god of wine.

Which game is removed from Olympics 2024? ›

It was announced in 2016 that baseball and softball would both return to Olympic sport status for the 2020 Tokyo Games (which were held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). The two sports were then dropped from the 2024 Games in Paris but reinstated for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

What was controversial about the opening ceremony? ›

The controversy surrounding what appears to be a depiction of the “Last Supper” by drag performers at the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics is the result of a misunderstanding, a popular Birmingham business owner posted on Facebook.

Who sabotaged the French rail network? ›

Recently, France has been one of several countries impacted by a wave of suspected Russian sabotage attacks against infrastructure and other targets.

Can Russia compete in the Paris Olympics? ›

Russian athletes can compete in Paris, but they must be approved to do so. The same applies to Belarusian competitors. As of June 15, there were a combined 25 Russian and Belarusian athletes who were approved to compete in neutral events.

Who is behind the Paris train attacks? ›

The perpetrator is unknown. SNCF, France's national rail company, said that a series of fires had amounted to a “massive attack aimed at paralysing the network”. Images published by local authorities showed fire damage to cables running alongside the track.

Why is there no softball in the 2024 Olympics? ›

After being added in 1996, softball remained on the Olympic program until 2012. The removal came in 2005 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced it would discontinue the sport following the 2008 games.

What is the Olympic motto? ›

Citius, Altius, Fortius” is the motto of the Olympic Games; an event that symbolizes unity and exuberance of the human spirit. These three Latin words mean “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” Baron de Coubertin borrowed the motto from Father Henri Martin Dideono, the headmaster of Arcueil College in Paris.

What sports have been removed from the Olympics? ›

11 lost sports of the Olympic Games
  • Ancient Olympics — chariot racing. "The Chariot Race in the Circus Maximus" by Alfredo Tominz, 1890. ( ...
  • 1900 — hot air ballooning. ...
  • 1900 — swimming obstacle race. ...
  • 1900 — basque pelota. ...
  • 1900 — cricket. ...
  • 1904 — distance plunging. ...
  • 1904 — lacrosse. ...
  • 1920 — tug-of-war.

How turned Paris security fortress? ›

Since last week, central Paris has been turned into a fortress, with metal barriers sealing off both banks of the Seine. Only residents and people with hotel bookings are allowed into the high-security area.

Which country had secured the maximum in the 2016 Olympic Games? ›

The United States topped the medal table, winning the most gold medals (46) and the highest number of medals overall (121); the U.S. team also won its 1,000th Summer Olympic gold medal.

What countries did not send athletes to the Olympics? ›

Russia and Belarus are absent from the list of hundreds of nations represented by athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games. Russia is now absent from its fourth consecutive Olympic games, two summer and two winter, including 2024.

Which countries boycotted the 1956 Olympics to show condemnation for the Soviet actions? ›

The Soviet invasion of Hungary provoked protests from numerous Western countries, and some of them, such as Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands, withdrew from the Games. On another matter, Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq refused to participate in protest of the Franco-British Suez intervention.

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