Olympics 2024: Central Paris on Lockdown as Athletes Arrive for Opening Ceremony Next Week

On Thursday, thousands of French security forces locked down a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of central Paris in preparation for the highly complex Olympics opening ceremony next week.

The July 26 opening parade, which will feature athletes sailing down the river Seine, led to the closure of central waterside residential districts to most vehicles starting at 5:00 am (0300 GMT).

Traffic on surrounding boulevards was noticeably lighter than usual as many drivers stayed away. However, locals and tourists encountered difficulties at checkpoints, particularly when attempting 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 undergoing significant transformations to welcome nearly nine million Olympics ticketholders.

Organizers are finalizing temporary sports stadiums at iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, and the Place de la Concorde.

Advertising boards, new artwork, and Olympics bunting are being put up, while the creation of Olympic VIP traffic lanes this week has further complicated the capital’s gridlocked streets.

“The Olympics have brought us nothing but misery,” complained taxi driver Rabah Ouanes, 53, noting the dreadful traffic due to all the construction work.

In anticipation of the Games, tourist numbers are significantly lower than usual, and many Paris residents have left for holidays to avoid the disruption.

“Our clients are down by 50 percent,” said Renaud, a senior waiter at the famed Deux Magots cafe in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, now inside the new security perimeter established on Thursday. “Normally we have people queuing out the door,” he told AFP, pointing to the numerous empty seats on the outdoor terrace.

Super excited
On Thursday, the first athletes arrived at the newly built Olympic Village in the Saint-Ouen northern suburb, an area urban planners hope to regenerate.

The complex, comprising 40 different low-rise housing blocks, showcases innovative construction techniques using low-carbon concrete, water recycling, and reclaimed building materials.

Initially designed to be free of air conditioning, Olympic delegations have requested around 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes due to concerns about 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 were 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 highest priority for French authorities. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin insisted on Wednesday that there was “no credible threat” against the Games at this stage.

The opening ceremony has been a major concern for senior police officers since it was announced in 2021 due to the challenge of protecting such a large, densely packed urban area.

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

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics opens outside the main athletics stadium, with up to 500,000 people expected to watch in person from stands, the riverbanks, and overlooking apartments.

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

Anyone needing to enter the highest-security “grey zone” along both banks of the Seine, such as residents or tourists with hotel reservations, must have 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 enforced over the capital on the evening of the ceremony.

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

Martine Dubois, a 74-year-old resident of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, said the Olympics were “a real inconvenience.”

The metro stop she uses for work was one of ten closed for security reasons on Thursday, and the barriers “make you feel like you’re living in a prison,” she told AFP.