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Video length: 2 min
Will security conditions change for the Paralympic Games? A closer look at the measures put in place three days before the start of the competitions.
Three days before the starting gun, athletes from all over the world are making themselves comfortable in the Paralympic village, provided they show their credentials and accreditation. A village under high protection, fenced on both sides and guarded by the police. Inside, there are video surveillance cameras. The CRS patrol from the Seine and the para-athletes’ journeys are also scrutinized. The buses are checked. Enough to free the spirit of this Australian archery team.
For this second act of the Games, the French authorities are readjusting the system, with 25,000 police officers and gendarmes, 10,000 private security agents, and 8,000 soldiers from Operation Sentinel. This is almost half as many as during the Olympic Games, as is the number of athletes and competition sites. The major challenge remains the opening ceremony planned in the heart of the capital, on the Champs Élysées and Place de la Concorde.