French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, scheduled for the Seine River, could be moved to the Stade de France instead if the security threat is deemed too high. said.
France is on high alert ahead of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are expected to attract millions of tourists.
Safety concerns have been particularly heightened during the unusual opening ceremony, in which boats carrying the athletes take part in a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) parade along the Seine River, watched by large crowds from the embankment.
President Macron told French media outlets BFM-TV and RMC that an unprecedented level of French law enforcement forces would be mobilized to protect the outdoor event.
“But depending on the analysis of the situation, if we think there is a risk, there are alternative scenarios,” Macron said. “I have a plan B and a plan C.”
The July 26 event is set to be the first Olympic opening ceremony held outside a stadium. Around 10,500 athletes will parade through the center of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a route that ends in front of the Trocadero.
To limit security risks, Macron said organizers would shorten the date of the parade on the Seine and even decide to “move the ceremony back to the Stade de France” for a more traditional opening ceremony event. He said it was possible.
Organizers had originally planned a grand opening ceremony with as many as 600,000 people in attendance, most of whom watched for free from the riverbank. But security and logistical concerns have led the government to gradually scale back its ambitions. Earlier this year, overall attendance had dropped to about 300,000 people.
The French government also decided not to allow tourists to watch the opening ceremony for free due to safety concerns. Free access is by invitation only.
President Macron insisted that plans for the opening ceremony remain unchanged for now.
“It's a world first. We can do it, and we will do it,” the French president said.
France has repeatedly been hit by deadly Islamic State attacks, including the 2015 Bataclan theater massacre, in which militants opened fire on concertgoers and held hostages for several hours. French troops have also been fighting Islamic extremists in the Middle East and Africa.
Last month, the French government raised its alert to the highest level after an attack on a concert hall in Russia and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
President Macron said a security perimeter would be set up “days and possibly weeks” before the opening ceremony. He added that road traffic in the high-security area would be halted and French authorities would use “drone systems, coding and cyber protection” in security efforts.
In response to a viewer who expressed concern about his son attending the opening ceremony, President Macron said: “If there is one place where my son is safe, it is here.”
“There's always risk in life,” he says. “Unfortunately, we see it every day. But we gave ourselves the means to make it happen.”
In the hour-long interview, President Macron also said that as conflict in the Middle East escalates and Russia's war in Ukraine enters its third year, “we want to do everything possible to achieve the Olympic Truce” ahead of the Paris Games. . , and after a year of war, Sudan is heading towards a massive catastrophe of starvation and mass death.
The Olympic Truce is a modern revival of an ancient Greek tradition in which warring city-states ensure safe passage for athletes to the Olympics. Every two years, the host country of the next Olympic Games submits a UN resolution that other member states can co-sponsor.
“We want to work towards an Olympic truce and I think this is an opportunity to engage with many partners,” Macron said, adding that he would urge Chinese leader Xi Jinping to use his influence.
“The Chinese president will be coming to Paris in a few weeks and I will ask for his cooperation,” Macron said. “This is a moment of diplomatic peace.”
President Macron also supported the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete in the Olympics under a neutral flag despite the invasion of Ukraine. He also defended the Israeli team's participation under its flag despite the attack on Gaza, which killed 33,000 Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands.
“I cannot say that Israel is attacking,” President Macron said. “Israel is the victim of a terrorist attack and is currently responding in Gaza.”
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More from The Associated Press about the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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Barbara Surk in Nice contributed to this report.
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