Paris Olympics opening ceremony threatened by terror threat, suggests President Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony could be relocated should there be a significant risk of a terrorist attack. He revealed that alternate plans are already being formulated to address any such threats.

With the Olympics set to commence in less than four months along the Seine river in Paris, the buildup has been overshadowed by an increase in terrorist threats. During a television interview on Monday, April 15, Macron stated, “If we think there are risks, depending on our analysis of the context, we have fallback scenarios. There are plans B and C and we are preparing them in parallel.”

The organizers have envisioned a unique spectacle for the opening ceremony scheduled for July 26, expecting over 300,000 spectators to witness a parade of boats bearing national teams along the river.

Macron detailed contingency plans, explaining, “We’ll be analyzing the situation in real-time and preparing a ceremony that would be limited to Trocadéro, where we wouldn’t use the whole of the Seine, or even a ceremony that would bring the public to the Stade de France, which is what has been done traditionally.”

He emphasized the psychological impact of terrorism: “What the terrorists want is to prevent us from dreaming, and that’s their greatest victory.”

This heightened state of alert follows the recent attack at a Moscow concert hall and subsequent ISIS threats, including specific warnings against the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matches. Despite previous assurances from Olympic officials that there was no alternative plan for the opening ceremony, Macron’s comments underscore a robust security strategy involving a perimeter and “red zone” around the ceremony area, with 30,000 police and gendarmes and an additional 20,000 private security staff deployed daily throughout the Games.