(Paris) Tourists will not be able to attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Summer Olympics for free, contrary to what the French government had initially promised, due to security concerns at the event which will take place on along the Seine.
The organizing committee planned to present a grandiose opening ceremony on July 26 to which 600,000 spectators were to have access, most of them free of charge. Security and logistical issues – as well as the anger of Paris’ second-hand booksellers – forced the government to review its plans.
French authorities now expect to welcome around 222,000 spectators free of charge, who will be massed high up on the banks of the Seine, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said during a hearing before the French Senate on Tuesday.
However, according to two leaders of France’s Interior Ministry, rather than offering seats to the public through an online platform, tickets for the opening ceremony will be distributed by quota to city residents. where Olympic events will take place. Other places will also be offered by the organizing committee or their commercial partners.
PHOTO THOMAS PADILLA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gerald Darmanin
The leaders of the ministry could not be identified since they did not receive authorization from their superiors to do so.
The leaders clarified that this decision means that tourists will be excluded from the process of distributing free places, and they mentioned that this was “plan B” after months of discussions to find a safe way to hold this event. They added that this decision was taken in consultation with local authorities and that it will promote “diversity” of the crowd, while making it easier for the government to ensure security.
Darmanin added that around 104,000 people will also be able to pay to attend the opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine.
With France on high alert, Darmanin said French intelligence services had still not identified a real threat to the Olympics. He admitted, however, that several potential threats loom over the French capital, including those from Islamic terrorist groups, violent environmental activists and far-right groups, as well as cyberattacks from Russia or other political adversaries.