The government focused on the security of the Paris Olympic Games during an interministerial committee meeting at Matignon. The main topic of discussion was the security of the outdoor opening ceremony on the Seine. The meeting was scheduled before the outbreak of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas. The events in the region have inevitably raised additional concerns.
In an interview with L’Équipe on Monday, Tony Estanguet, the head of the committee, assured that there was “no alternative” to this unprecedented ceremony along the river. He added that since the beginning, the authorities and Paris-2024 have made sure that security is the number one priority for the success of the Games.
The exact number of spectators is still unknown: initially, there were talks of 100,000 paying seats on the lower level of the Seine docks, and 500,000 free seats on the upper level. This capacity is at the center of many discussions and even frictions between the Paris City Hall, the organizing committee, and the prefecture of police of the capital.
The decision is expected this fall, accompanied by an estimate of the support needed from the military, which should compensate for the insufficient number of private security guards. The organizing committee says it needs 17,000 to 22,000 private security guards for the Olympic sites alone, knowing that the “fan zones” will also need to be secured.
The security perimeters around the Olympic sites, some of which are located in the center of Paris, defined by the prefecture of police, were also discussed at Matignon, according to government sources. They are highly anticipated because they will determine the precise police arrangements, as well as traffic plans and the consequences for residents and businesses in the affected areas.
During the Friday meeting, attended by about a dozen ministers, including Gérald Darmanin (Interior), Sébastien Lecornu (Army), Clément Beaune (Transport), and Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (Sports and Olympics), as well as the prefect of police in Paris, Laurent Nuñez, the continuity of state services during the Olympics, the modalities for welcoming foreign delegations, mobility during the Games, and popular mobilization were also discussed, according to government sources. The contents of these discussions have not been disclosed.
