Paris Olympics opening ceremony could be moved in case of terror threat, hints Emmanuel Macron
A view of summer Olympic 2024 host city Paris (Source: @OlympicsParis)
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics would be moved if there is a serious risk of a terrorist attack, adding that backup plans were in place to deal with any such contingency.
In less than four months, Paris will be hosting the biggest sporting carnival on the planet with the opening ceremony taking place on the iconic Seine river. However, a recent upsurge in threats from terrorists has soured the anticipation surrounding the quadrennial event.
“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," said Macron in a television interview on Monday (Apr 15).
Notably, the organisers have planned a 'world first' opening ceremony, scheduled for July 26, when over 300,000 people are expected to watch an armada of boats carrying national teams down the river.
“We’ll be analysing 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,” Macron said.
)
Sadie Sink's leaked Spider-Man: Brand New Day clip fuels fresh Jean Grey speculation
)
NEET aspirant ends her life in Maharashtra after falling 11 marks short of cut-off
)
'Very unimpactful': Trump downplays Russian support for Iran, promises to 'ask Putin' about Zelensky's claims
)
'Spreading deepfakes, deleted PM Modi's video': Why Meta AI should be banned in India for interfering in Indian economy and democracy
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Delhi Police issues BIG statement on viral 'don't leave national capital without permission' notice | FACT CHECK
)
'First dumb AI': Meta AI blocks Indian PM Modi's video in his own country, allows abuse ads and deletes livelihoods without explanation
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
'Islamic Republic will never make a deal with the US': Iran deputy speaker echoes Araghchi’s remark
)
Who will benefit from Kapil Sibal's ₹1 crore legal aid fund for NEET protesters? This is what we know
)
'Broader struggle for democracy...': Greta Thunberg joins Indian students protest in London - What she said
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
Tom Cruise's daughter Suri drops his surname; adopts Katie Holmes' middle name Noelle
)
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP for felicitating Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, accuses Modi government of 'celebrating ruined futures'
)
China deploying advanced fighter jets closer to India's northern frontier
)
Why did Meta remove PM Modi's Facebook video on paper leaks? Tech company blames 'technical error'
)
Giant iceberg flips violently near Greenland exposing its underside - 'I didn't know they could do that'
)
ChatGPT invoked God, told pastor not to worry about his symptoms. Then pulmonary embolism hit
)
'Worst quality AI in market': Meta AI's moderation fail hits PM Modi and Indian Democracy
)
Asim Munir eyes defence deal with Qatar & Turkiye after Kuwait as Pakistan seeks investments | Gravitas
)
Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Japan's Kumamoto prefecture, tsunami warning issued
)
Woman used AI to tell court what happened the night her ex-boyfriend 'raped' her. It was a bad idea
)
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir election turns violent: 19 killed, protests intensify as rigging allegations fly
)
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia drops 3-tonne Glide bombs on Ukraine
)
‘Kill Melania, Barron’: Why is IRGC-linked media outlet urging ‘freedom fighters’ to assassinate Trump’s family? WATCH
)
3,000 years ago, humanity spoke thousands of languages — then fell silent. Where did they all go?
)
You are a 'Naked Official' in China if you hold high posts and have children or spouse abroad. What about India?
)
RSS backed Jantar Mantar student protest? Mohan Bhagwat's 'question authority' remark resurfaces
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Ojani Noa claims he confronted Sean 'Diddy' Combs over alleged affair
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
“What the terrorists want is to prevent us from dreaming, and that’s their greatest victory," he added.
France is on high alert
Macron's statement comes in the backdrop of the Moscow concert hall attack last month after which France has been on maximum security alert.
ISIS took responsibility for the attacks and most recently, threatened to attack venues hosting the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matches, including Paris Saint-Germain's match against Barcelona at the Parc des Princes.
Moreover, the French president's admission comes after Olympic officials claimed that there was no plan B for the opening ceremony.
According to reports, a security perimeter and a red zone will be set up eight days before the opening ceremony. As many as 30,000 police and gendarmes (paramilitary officers) would be on duty every day during the duration of the Games. Additionally, 20,000 private security staff will be in action as well.
(With inputs from agencies)