The Paris City Council voted in favor of relocating the bouquinistes, or bookstalls, along the banks of the Seine River. The relocation is deemed necessary before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. However, this decision has raised concerns among some affected professionals and elected officials, who are requesting additional guarantees.
Authorities consider the move necessary
Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nuñez repeatedly emphasizes that removing the bookstalls from certain areas is necessary for security reasons. He highlights that the stalls are not uniformly installed, which could pose crowd management difficulties. While some opposition officials, like Pierre-Yves Bournazel of the Independent and Progressive group, are requesting an alternative solution with sealed closures of the stalls one week before the games’ opening ceremony, the police prefect deems this option unfeasible due to the risk of terrorism and the potential placement of explosives.
Following a recent meeting in late September, the Paris Police Prefecture has committed to reevaluating the perimeter of the bookstalls that must be relocated before the opening ceremony. The revised perimeter will be limited to stalls “whose removal is strictly necessary to ensure the safety of spectators.” An ordinance will be issued to specify the affected area. Florence Berthout, Mayor of the 5th arrondissement under the Horizons party, applauds the ability to minimize the perimeter, but she emphasizes that the city still lacks assurances regarding the duration and consequences of dismantling and reassembling the stalls.
The need for a test
According to Florence Berthout, it is “essential, with less than a year until the Olympic Games, to conduct a test with heritage professionals to dismantle and reassemble stalls that have different configurations,” some of which are over a century old. This test aims to determine whether this can be done without jeopardizing the stalls. “We are surprised by the lack of anticipation for the Games,” adds Pierre-Yves Bournazel, Mayor of the 18th arrondissement. In response to this concern, the City of Paris has proposed to finance the renovation of certain bookstalls that must be removed.
While the City has agreed to organize a dismantling test on a few stalls to assess the time and effort required, no schedule has been communicated thus far, as indicated by several Paris councilors. The right-wing opposition also criticizes the lack of clarity regarding compensation for the bookstall owners who will have to leave the riverbanks. “The summer period is essential for them,” states Jean-Pierre Lecoq, Mayor of the 6th arrondissement from the Changer Paris group. “If some stalls are removed, we request that compensation be provided.”
