several mobilizations were held in Chambéry, Grenoble and in the Hautes-Alpes

Protesters gathered to protest the possible hosting of the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

Nearly 250 demonstrators gathered on Saturday January 6 in Chambéry, Grenoble and the Hautes-Alpes to protest against the possible organization of the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps.

In Chambéry, there were around a hundred of them in a fair atmosphere, gathered in a park not far from the headquarters of the Savoie departmental Olympic and sports committee, observed an AFP journalist. Activists from different associations (Extinction Rebellion, Attac, the Uprisings of the Earth) or simple citizens, were united at the call of the No-JO collective.

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On the program, ski and Bobsleigh race on tarmac with presentation of “medals” to regional presidents Laurent Wauquiez (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes), Renaud Muselier (Provence Alpes Côte-d’Azur) and to the president of the French National Olympic Sports Committee David Lappartient to reward respectively their “authoritarianism”their “dishonesty” and their “corruption”.

Final decision in June

In Grenoble, around forty people positioned themselves near a roundabout on the national road leading towards the ski resorts, wearing colorful alpine sports outfits to raise awareness among tourists, explained a representative contacted by AFP who wished to remain anonymous.

In the Hautes Alpes, around a hundred activists also dressed in colorful outfits took advantage of the traffic jams at the roundabout of one of the A51 exits, to interact with motorists in a climate “festive”according to Stéphane Passeron, member of the No JO collective, contacted by AFP.

The bid offer from the French Alps, supported by the PACA and Aura regions for the 2030 Winter Games, was the only one accepted by the IOC on November 29, before a final decision in June. Since then, elected officials and associations have pointed out the ecological and economic risks represented by this global event. Some are calling for sustainable Games to develop transport, particularly rail in the Alps.