PARIS: Thousands of French security forces locked down a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of central Paris on Thursday ahead of the hugely complex Olympics opening ceremony next week.

The opening parade on July 26 that will see athletes sail down the river Seine led to the closure of central water-side residential districts to most vehicles from 5:00am (0300 GMT) on Thursday.

Traffic on surrounding boulevards was noticeably lighter than usual as many drivers stayed away, but locals and tourists found themselves blocked at checkpoints, particularly when trying to cross the river.

“It’s a real pain,” cyclist Frank Groner, 52, told AFP after being tur­ned away by police outside the La Sam­aritaine department store. “I read eve­r­ything online and thought I’d unde­r­stood. You can’t cross anywhere!”

With the opening ceremony just eight days away, Paris is transforming itself as it prepares to welcome nearly nine million Olympics ticket holders.

Organisers are putting the finishing touches to the temporary sports stadiums at iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides or the Place de la Concorde.

Advertising boards, new artwork and Olympics bunting are going up, while the creation of Olympic VIP traffic lanes this week are the latest cha­nge to the capital’s gridlocked streets.

“The Olympics have brought us nothing but misery,” taxi driver Rabah Ouanes, 53, complained on Thursday, saying traffic had been dreadful because of all the construction work.

In the run-up to the Games, tourist numbers are much lower-than-usual and many Paris residents have headed off on holiday to avoid the disruption.

“Our clients are down by 50 percent,” said Renaud, a senior waiter at the famed Deux Magots cafe in Saint-German-des-Pres, which is inside the new security perimeter set up on Thursday.

“Normally we have people queuing out the door,” he told AFP, gesturing towards the numerous empty seats on the outdoor terrace.

‘SUPER EXCITED’

Elsewhere on Thursday, the first athletes arrived at the newly built Oly­mpic Village in the Saint-Ouen nor­t­hern suburb of the capital which urban planners are hoping to regenerate.

Comprising 40 different low-rise housing blocs, the complex has been built as a showcase of innovative construction techniques using low-carbon concrete, water recycling and reclaimed building materials.

It was also intended to be free of air-conditioning, but Olympic delegations have ordered around 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes out of fear of high temperatures.

“We are super excited to check how it’s looking,” Australian hockey player Stephanie Kershaw told AFP as she waited to enter the village. “We can’t wait to get started.”

Members of the Argentinian, Brazilian and Kenyan delegations could be seen pushing luggage trolleys into the complex, while British and US athletes were also expected on Thursday.

At full capacity, the village will host 14,500 people including 9,000 athletes.

UNPRECEDENTED CEREMONY

Securing the Paris Games remains the biggest priority for French authorities, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin insisting on Wednesday that there was “no credible threat” against them at this stage.

The opening ceremony has been giving senior police officers cold sweats ever since it was announced in 2021 because of the difficulty of protecting such a large, densely packed urban area.

Around 6,000-7,000 athletes are set to sail down the Seine on nearly a hundred barges and river boats.

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, with up to 500,000 people set to watch in person from stands, on the river banks and from the overlooking apartments.

The two-tiered security perimeter installed on Thursday has restricted most vehicles from central areas.

Anyone wanting to enter the highest-security “grey zone” along both banks of the Seine, such as residents or tourists with hotel reservations in the area, needs a security pass in the form of a QR code.

River barriers blocking access to the Seine were installed and functioning on Thursday, while a vast no-fly zone will be put in place above the capital on the evening of the ceremony.

The installation of tens of thousands of metal security barriers all along the route of the parade and around the temporary venues has also outraged some Parisians.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2024