French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday mentioned the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics deliberate on the River Seine could possibly be shifted as a substitute to the Stade de France if the safety menace is deemed too excessive.
Chatting with French media BFM-TV and RMC, Macron mentioned France’s legislation enforcement forces might be mobilized at an distinctive stage for the safety of the open-air occasion.
“But when we predict there are dangers, relying on our evaluation of the context, now we have fallback eventualities,” Macron mentioned. “There are plan Bs and plan Cs.”
The July 26 occasion is ready to be the primary Olympic opening ceremony held exterior a stadium setting. About 10,500 athletes will parade by means of the center of the French capital on boats on the Seine alongside a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.
To restrict safety dangers, Macron mentioned organizers may determine to shorten the itinerary of the parade on the Seine, and even to “repatriate the ceremony to the Stade de France” for a extra standard opening occasion.
Organizers had initially deliberate a grandiose opening ceremony for as many as 600,000 folks, most watching freed from cost from riverbanks. However safety and logistical issues have led the federal government to progressively cut back its ambitions. Earlier this 12 months, the general variety of spectators was diminished to round 300,000.
The French authorities additionally determined that vacationers gained’t be given free entry to observe the opening ceremony due to safety issues. Free entry might be invitation-only as a substitute.
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Extra AP protection of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Samuel Petrequin, The Related Press
