It is no longer clear who came up with this idea.
At first he was just the president of a certain International Olympic Committeebach(Thomas Bach) and Chairman of the Paris Olympic and Pao Planning Committee (Cojop)Estanger(Tony Estanguet) chatting, it was 2018Buenos Aires Youth OlympicsJust following it ended, Bach told Estenger that he liked the opening ceremony in Buenos Aires very much because it was not held in a stadium but on the street, like a carnival.At that time, they were thinking regarding what kind of ideas they might have for the 2024 Paris Olympics. What Bach had in mind was, for example,Champs ElyséesHold an opening ceremony.
Estenger took this proposal back to discuss with his colleagues. Unexpectedly, following a period of brainstorming, an even crazier idea came up: moving the carnival-style float parade to the Seine River and turning it into a “Flower Boat Parade”! French President Emmanuel Macron recalled that when Estenger presented the idea to him, he thought it was crazy — and then decided to do it.
mayor of parishidalgo(Anne Hidalgo) also did not reserve her enthusiastic praise for this project; imagine that as mayor, she can stand on a gorgeous boat and represent the host city on the Seine River to welcome distinguished guests and athletes from all over the world. What a grand scene it is. “AFP” quoted internal city government sources as saying that the Paris city government’s preliminary plan aims to accommodate 2 million people.
The idea of opening on the Seine River deeply captured the hearts of the organizer’s top management and became an imperative goal. At the end of 2021, without any cost estimates and safety risk assessments, the administrative council under Paris Cojop still formally approved the plan.
When everyone was drunk, only one person was sober. He was one of the council members and a former Olympic gold medalist.Deruter(Guy Drut). He refused to participate in the vote on the grounds that the assessment information at the time was insufficient.
Paris is counting down the days until the Olympics start. Photo/AFP
▌Vian’s nightmare
If this plan is implemented successfully, the 2024 Paris Olympics will be the first Olympic Games in history not to hold the opening ceremony in a stadium. In addition to its groundbreaking significance, the opening on the Seine brings together all the values that Paris wants to sell to the world: freedom, openness, popular participation, the integration of humanity and nature, etc.
However, the planner’s dream turns out to be a nightmare for the executor.
ResponsibleFrance Region(Île-de-France) The Paris Police Department (Préfecture de police de Paris, affiliated with the central government), which is responsible for public security work, when studying this plan, was not thinking regarding the value of freedom and openness at all, but the headache of security problems : How to build a safe barrier in such a vast space from three aspects: water, roads, and buildings? Should we consider the possibility of a terrorist attack? How much manpower needs to be mobilized? How to manage crowds and evacuate when a crisis strikes? How to ensure the personal safety of VIPs and athletes from various countries on board?
The standard operating procedures for security at large-scale sports events have always been based on stadiums. A stadium is a semi-enclosed space, and it is basically planned and built to accommodate a certain number of people. There are a certain number of entrances and exits based on size, number of seats, sports, etc., and safety regulations must be met in terms of aisle width, evacuation routes, surveillance equipment, peripheral evacuation spaces, etc.
Working in such a fixed space, the security team can be very familiar with the venue equipment. Once a crisis strikes, they can skillfully initiate standard procedures according to various situations, and the security inspection measures at each gate before the event can be filtered in advance. risk factors.
How to build a safe barrier in such a vast space from water, roads, and buildings? Picture… Among the series of terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, the Stade de France (Stade…
A series of events that took place in Paris on November 13, 2015terrorist attackAmong them, withStade de FranceThe three suicide bombers who targeted the Stade de France were unable to enter the stadium (a German-French football friendly match was taking place at the time) precisely because of the security measures. Although the three explosions still caused 1 death and 63 injuries around the venue, if the incident occurred inside the venue, the consequences would be disastrous. (Further reading:〈ISIS terrorists afraid of self-destruction at the last moment? The mystery of the Paris 11.13 terrorist attack trial>）
The game was not interrupted and the players and fans were not informed until following the game.Bataclan Concert Hall(Le Bataclan) and other places, only to learn that he was almost a victim of a terrorist attack.
In contrast, open spaces have inherent deficiencies in terms of security conditions. Some may say that hundreds of thousands or even millions of people celebrate every National Day ceremony or New Year’s Eve event on the streets. However, this analogy probably does not hold water. First of all, these outdoor mass activities are often held in the same place, and the police unit is already familiar with the space and various possible situations.
Take the Champs Elysées, where New Year’s Eve events are held every year, as an example. The road is very spacious and connected to many secondary roads on both sides, so there is less pressure in terms of evacuation of people. On the other hand, the Seine River has never hosted an event similar to the Olympic opening ceremony. In addition to the lack of security experience, the platforms on both sides of the river are divided into upper and lower floors. When evacuating, you need to go through stairs. If there is a crowd pushing, there is also the risk of falling into the water.
But the most important thing is that compared to other events, the Olympics attract global attention and are a great opportunity for extremist political elements to promote their ideas to the world. Therefore, the risk of terrorist attacks is much higher. 1972Munich Olympicsand 1996atlanta olympicsThese are all bloody cases.
The war between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 and the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2023 have added many variables to the turbulent international situation.March this yearMoscow terrorist attackLater, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also raised the national security alert to the highest level, which means there is an urgent risk of terrorist attacks. Even at the end of May this year, French intelligence agencies arrested a Chechen national and cracked the first terrorist attack plan for the Paris Olympics. All circumstances show that the simulation and preparation for terrorist attack scenarios in the Olympics are by no means unfounded.
Against this background, Paris actually wants to hold the Olympic opening ceremony in the open air on the Seine River, and arrange a total of more than 10,000 of the world’s top athletes on the boat. If something happens, it is unknown whether the city of Paris can afford it and what kind of diplomatic disaster France will experience.
It is precisely based on the above factors that the then Director-General of the Paris Police Department in 2021Lalemon(Didier Lallement) commented that this plan was “irrational”; at that time, the situation in Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine was not as tense as it is today. However, following several years of discussion, the organizers have never shaken off their persistence in this dream, and the opening of the Seine River Olympics is inevitable.
Working in a fixed space, the security team can be very familiar with the venue equipment. In the open space of the Seine… On the banks of the Seine, workers are preparing for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo/AFP
▌Unprecedented security challenge
Let’s take a look at the special difficulties and risks that must be faced when hosting the Olympic Games on the Seine.
The first is the crowd control part.According to the plan of the organizer, from the eastausterlitz bridge(Pont d’Austerlitz) tojena bridge(Pont d’Iéna) The water area with a total length of regarding 6 kilometers and the river banks on both sides will be the location of the opening ceremony and the audience respectively. In order to control audience access and filter out risk factors, the entire area must be enclosed, barriers such as fences must be set up, and entrances and exits must be set up at regular intervals. This entire area is equivalent to four French stadiums. The number of entrances and exits needs to be increased to at least 3 to 4 times the number of entrances and exits of a stadium. This also means that 3 to 4 times the security manpower is needed, and this is only all required. A fraction of the security manpower.
The basic tasks of these security personnel deployed at the entrance and exit are to assist in checking tickets, conducting body searches, checking personal belongings, and assisting in seating. Based on the final crowd limit (326,000 people) set by the French Ministry of the Interior in March this year, it will take 2 to 5 hours just to complete these projects and let all spectators enter the venue (depending on the specific number of entrances and exits) depends).
President of the French Olympic CommitteeLapatian(David Lappartient) even urged his guests in the invitation to arrive at 2:30 pm to avoid missing the 7:30 opening ceremony. Audiences participating in the opening ceremony must be mentally prepared because it will be a test of patience and physical strength, and it is best to pray not to encounter rain or a heat wave.
The second challenge concerns the weight that the river bank platform can carry. The construction of platforms on both sides of the Seine has always been mainly based on the loading and unloading of goods, and has never been for the purpose of hosting such a grand event; before the opening ceremony was finalized, the maximum load of the platform was never evaluated. This inevitably makes people worry regarding whether there will be an accident in which the platform collapses following more than 300,000 people enter the venue on the opening day.
Although there are currently no special signs that there are structural problems with the riverbanks in the event area, during the preparations for the opening performance, the plan to set up stages or terraced seats on part of the riverbanks was indeed canceled due to safety considerations. This means that the preparatory team There are also concerns regarding the risk of collapse. In any case, now that the current plan has been finalized, the only thing that can be done in terms of execution is to ensure that the crowds are evenly distributed and avoid excessive concentration of weight.
The reason why the idea of opening on the Seine River was considered an almost impossible task by the police was because of the terrorist attack launched here… Paris is waiting to start the Olympic Games. The picture shows a commemorative playing card printed with the 2024 Paris Olympic mascot “Friggy”. …
The third challenge is also the most worrying: preventing terrorist attacks. The reason why the idea of opening on the Seine River is considered an almost impossible task by the police is because the cost of launching a terrorist attack here is very low, but the cost of prevention is high, and besides there is no established operating model to refer to , even where to set safety standards is a problem.
If we really want to strictly enforce it, in this 6-kilometer section, every sewer outlet in the river, every manhole cover on the trail, every crack in the brick wall on the embankment, and every building on the street , each household’s mailbox and windows, as well as the attic and countless other places, all need to be comprehensively inspected before opening.
This also means that if someone intends to engage in behavior that endangers public safety or intimidates the public, he can easily achieve his goal – anyone can place a small small box under a mailbox or a manhole cover without being noticed. Explosives; or sneaking into a penthouse party in the first row of a river view through a friend of a friend and attacking the opening ceremony attendees from a high position. In addition, the possibility of drone attacks from the air must be considered. This part requires the support of the French Air Force.
To ensure public safety, every conceivable and unimagined possibility must be considered. In short, in a situation where everything is possible but comprehensive control is impossible, how to deploy security manpower so that they can fulfill their duties without wasting public funds is a very vexing problem.
The difficulty in defining safety standards is not only caused by the nature of the space itself, but also because “how to define the disasters to be prevented” is itself a problem. Of course, all resources must be exhausted to prevent terrorist attacks that may cause casualties. But if some troublemakers use simple items (such as lighters, glass bottles, or small firecrackers) to create small chaos, even if it does not directly cause personal danger, it may still cause panic among the audience.
Even if these unpreventable small incidents do not cause a security breach, they may undermine the confidence of countries around the world in the organizers. However, is it necessary to limit the level of security checks? If it is deemed unnecessary or the funding does not allow for such an incident to occur, causing subsequent events to be canceled due to safety concerns, who should bear the consequences? The particularity of the Olympic Games makes security issues not only a security issue, but also a complex issue of funding resources and national face.
The particularity of the Olympic Games makes security issues not only a security issue, but also a complex issue of funding resources and national face. The picture shows… Due to various safety considerations, the number of spectators at the opening ceremony has been continuously revised down from the 2 million originally imagined by the mayor of Paris to 320,000…
▌From beautiful imagination back to reality
Based on the above considerations, the number of spectators at the opening ceremony has been continuously revised down from the 2 million originally imagined by the mayor of Paris to 320,000. However, even so, the required security costs are still very large, and the first priority is to raise manpower.
During the Olympic Games, just for the competition part, an average of regarding 20,000 security personnel were needed every day to maintain security at various venues. Since it was decided that the opening ceremony would be held on the Seine, the manpower required has soared. In addition to the expected mobilization of the national police and gendarmerie (45,000), the Paris police force (2,000) and foreign police forces (approximately 2,500), tenders must also be solicited from private security companies (estimated to require 1 8,000 to 24,000 manpower).
However, following the French security industry streamlined its manpower during the Covid-19 epidemic, it has not yet returned to pre-epidemic standards. More than 10 security companies contracted by the Olympic organizers have been unable to recruit sufficient employees. In order to make up for the manpower gap, the French Ministry of the Interior, in conjunction with other ministries, has offered various discounts to recruit short-term workers, with the main targets being students, the unemployed and retired people. However, with only one month left before the Olympics (June 2024), there are still 400 vacancies.
Assuming that there is still insufficient manpower by then, the French government will not even rule out calling in the army to support it. In fact, the French national army has already played a key role in the preparations for the Olympics: the air force will be responsible for air security on the night of the opening ceremony, fully monitoring the sky with a radius of 150 kilometers centered on Paris.
Paris police conduct training exercises on the Seine River. Photo/AFP
The original setting of promoting public participation through open space has also been greatly discounted due to various practical considerations. In addition to the significant reduction in the number of people, admission qualifications are also subject to tangible and intangible restrictions. The audience area is divided into two floors, the lower floor is the paid area, and the ticket prices range from 90 to 2,700 euros. The original plan of the upper management was to provide free admission. However, in order to have a better understanding of the composition of the audience, admission was changed to ticketed admission, and the tickets were sent in batches to various Olympic co-organizers, who then donated them. In other words, if you don’t have deep pockets and don’t know anyone who works in a relevant unit, you can only watch the broadcast in front of TV.
However, no matter how the organizers promised to make the most complete planning, they might not calm the concerns regarding the safety issues of the opening ceremony. In December last year, Macron said for the first time that if intelligence or police units detect the risk of a terrorist attack in advance, they will naturally launch Plan B or even Plan C. However, no one knew the specific content of the filing at the time. .
It was not until June this year, with only 7 weeks left before the Olympics, that Plan B took a basic shape: the alternate venues for the opening ceremony were the Eiffel Tower andChateau Palace Square(Trocadéro), and only players from various countries will enter the venue, and there will be no spectator area. If we do have to go to Plan B, you can imagine how frustrating it would be for the city of Paris. However, no matter how reluctant you are, you still have to return from your beautiful imagination to reality.
Another unavoidable reality: the cost of the opening ceremony on the Seine is estimated to be more than 10 times that of the London Olympics opening ceremony (approximately between 300 and 500 million euros, while the London Olympics opening ceremony cost 27 million pounds).
Regardless, there is something irresistibly attractive regarding the idea of a river opening.People who intend to attend the opening ceremony should probably avoid knowing too many worrying details, otherwise their interest in participating in the event will disappear: According to a report just published in June this year, by Schlesboff, a former consultant and public relations director of Cojop in Paris, (Sébastian Chesbeuf) co-authored with two sports journalists“The Untold Inside Story of the Olympics”(La face cachée des JO, temporary translation), two senior security personnel interviewed in the book who did not know each other and did not want to be named unanimously stated that they would never let their families attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be the first Olympic Games in history not to hold the opening ceremony in a stadium. In addition to being groundbreaking…
Editor/Lai Yun
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It is no longer clear who came up with this idea.
At first he was just the president of a certain International Olympic Committee bach(Thomas Bach) and Chairman of the Paris Olympic and Pao Planning Committee (Cojop) Estanger(Tony Estanguet) chatting, it was 2018 Buenos Aires Youth OlympicsJust following it ended, Bach told Estenger that he liked the opening ceremony in Buenos Aires very much because it was not held in a stadium but on the street, like a carnival.At that time, they were thinking regarding what kind of ideas they might have for the 2024 Paris Olympics. What Bach had in mind was, for example, Champs Elysées, to hold an opening ceremony.
Estenger took this proposal back to discuss with his colleagues. Unexpectedly, following a period of brainstorming, an even crazier idea came up: moving the carnival-style float parade to the Seine River and turning it into a “Flower Boat Parade”! French President Emmanuel Macron recalled that when Estenger presented the idea to him, he thought it was crazy — and then decided to do it.
mayor of paris hidalgo(Anne Hidalgo) also did not reserve her enthusiastic praise for this project; imagine that as mayor, she can stand on a gorgeous boat and represent the host city on the Seine River to welcome distinguished guests and athletes from all over the world. What a grand scene it is. “AFP” quoted internal city government sources as saying that the Paris city government’s preliminary plan aims to accommodate 2 million people.
The idea of opening on the Seine River deeply captured the hearts of the organizer’s top management and became an imperative goal. At the end of 2021, without any cost estimates and safety risk assessments, the administrative council under Paris Cojop still formally approved the plan.
When everyone was drunk, only one person was sober. He was one of the council members and a former Olympic gold medalist. Deruter(Guy Drut). He refused to participate in the vote on the grounds that the assessment information at the time was insufficient.
Paris is counting down the days until the Olympics start. Photo/AFP
▌Vian’s nightmare
If this plan is implemented successfully, the 2024 Paris Olympics will be the first Olympic Games in history not to hold the opening ceremony in a stadium. In addition to its groundbreaking significance, the opening on the Seine brings together all the values that Paris wants to sell to the world: freedom, openness, popular participation, the integration of humanity and nature, etc.
However, the planner’s dream turns out to be a nightmare for the executor.
Responsible France Region(Île-de-France) The Paris Police Department (Préfecture de police de Paris, affiliated with the central government), which is responsible for public security work, when studying this plan, was not thinking regarding the value of freedom and openness at all, but the headache of security problems: How to build a safe barrier in such a vast space from three aspects: water, roads, and buildings? Should we consider the possibility of a terrorist attack? How much manpower needs to be mobilized? How to manage crowds and evacuate when a crisis strikes? How to ensure the personal safety of VIPs and athletes from various countries on board?
The standard operating procedures for security at large-scale sports events have always been based on stadiums. A stadium is a semi-enclosed space, and it is basically planned and built to accommodate a certain number of people. There are a certain number of entrances and exits based on size, number of seats, sports, etc., and safety regulations must be met in terms of aisle width, evacuation routes, surveillance equipment, peripheral evacuation spaces, etc.
Working in such a fixed space, the security team can be very familiar with the venue equipment. Once a crisis strikes, they can skillfully initiate standard procedures according to various situations, and the security inspection measures at each gate before the event can be filtered in advance. risk factors.
How to build a safe barrier in such a vast space from water, roads, and buildings? Picture… Among the series of terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, the Stade de France (Stade…
A series of events that took place in Paris on November 13, 2015, terrorist attackAmong them, with Stade de France, the three suicide bombers who targeted the Stade de France were unable to enter the stadium (a German-French football friendly match was taking place at the time) precisely because of the security measures. Although the three explosions still caused 1 death and 63 injuries around the venue, if the incident occurred inside the venue, the consequences would be disastrous. (Further reading: 〈ISIS terrorists afraid of self-destruction at the last moment? The mystery of the Paris 11.13 terrorist attack trial〉）
The game was not interrupted and the players and fans were not informed until following the game. Bataclan Concert Hall(Le Bataclan) and other places, only to learn that he was almost a victim of a terrorist attack.
In contrast, open spaces have inherent deficiencies in terms of security conditions. Some may say that hundreds of thousands or even millions of people celebrate every National Day ceremony or New Year’s Eve event on the streets. However, this analogy probably does not hold water. First of all, these outdoor mass activities are often held in the same place, and the police unit is already familiar with the space and various possible situations.
Take the Champs Elysées, where New Year’s Eve events are held every year, as an example. The road is very spacious and connected to many secondary roads on both sides, so there is less pressure in terms of evacuation of people. On the other hand, the Seine River has never hosted an event similar to the Olympic opening ceremony. In addition to the lack of security experience, the platforms on both sides of the river are divided into upper and lower floors. When evacuating, you need to go through stairs. If there is a crowd pushing, there is also the risk of falling into the water.
But the most important thing is that compared to other events, the Olympics attract global attention and are a great opportunity for extremist political elements to promote their ideas to the world. Therefore, the risk of terrorist attacks is much higher. 1972 Munich Olympics and 1996 Atlanta OlympicsThese are all bloody cases.
The war between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 and the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2023 have added many variables to the turbulent international situation. March this year, Moscow terrorist attackLater, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also raised the national security alert to the highest level, which means there is an urgent risk of terrorist attacks. Even at the end of May this year, French intelligence agencies arrested a Chechen national and cracked the first terrorist attack plan for the Paris Olympics. All circumstances show that the simulation and preparation for terrorist attack scenarios in the Olympics are by no means unfounded.
Against this background, Paris actually wants to hold the Olympic opening ceremony in the open air on the Seine River, and arrange a total of more than 10,000 of the world’s top athletes on the boat. If something happens, it is unknown whether the city of Paris can afford it and what kind of diplomatic disaster France will experience.
It is precisely based on the above factors that the then Director-General of the Paris Police Department in 2021 Lalemon(Didier Lallement) commented that this plan was “irrational”; at that time, the situation in Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine was not as tense as it is today. However, following several years of discussion, the organizers have never shaken off their persistence in this dream, and the opening of the Seine River Olympics is inevitable.
Working in a fixed space, the security team can be very familiar with the venue equipment. In the open space of the Seine… On the banks of the Seine, workers are preparing for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo/AFP
▌Unprecedented security challenge
Let’s take a look at the special difficulties and risks that must be faced when hosting the Olympic Games on the Seine.
The first is the crowd control part. According to the plan of the organizer, from the east Austerlitz bridge(Pont d’Austerlitz) to the Jena bridge(Pont d’Iéna) The water area with a total length of regarding 6 kilometers and the river banks on both sides will be the location of the opening ceremony and the audience respectively. In order to control audience access and filter out risk factors, the entire area must be enclosed, barriers such as fences must be set up, and entrances and exits must be set up at regular intervals. This entire area is equivalent to four French stadiums. The number of entrances and exits needs to be increased to at least 3 to 4 times the number of entrances and exits of a stadium. This also means that 3 to 4 times the security manpower is needed, and this is only all required. A fraction of the security manpower.
The basic tasks of these security personnel deployed at the entrance and exit are to assist in checking tickets, conducting body searches, checking personal belongings, and assisting in seating. Based on the final crowd limit (326,000 people) set by the French Ministry of the Interior in March this year, it will take 2 to 5 hours just to complete these projects and let all spectators enter the venue (depending on the specific number of entrances and exits) depends).
President of the French Olympic Committee Lapatian(David Lappartient) even urged his guests in the invitation to arrive at 2:30 pm to avoid missing the 7:30 opening ceremony. Audiences participating in the opening ceremony must be mentally prepared because it will be a test of patience and physical strength, and it is best to pray not to encounter rain or a heat wave.
The second challenge concerns the weight that the river bank platform can carry. The construction of platforms on both sides of the Seine has always been mainly based on the loading and unloading of goods, and has never been for the purpose of hosting such a grand event; before the opening ceremony was finalized, the maximum load of the platform was never evaluated. This inevitably makes people worry regarding whether there will be an accident in which the platform collapses following more than 300,000 people enter the venue on the opening day.
Although there are currently no special signs that there are structural problems with the riverbanks in the event area, during the preparations for the opening performance, the plan to set up stages or terraced seats on part of the riverbanks was indeed canceled due to safety considerations. This means that the preparatory team There are also concerns regarding the risk of collapse. In any case, now that the current plan has been finalized, the only thing that can be done in terms of execution is to ensure that the crowds are evenly distributed and avoid excessive concentration of weight.
The reason why the idea of opening on the Seine River was considered an almost impossible task by the police was because of the terrorist attack launched here… Paris is waiting to start the Olympic Games. The picture shows a commemorative playing card printed with the 2024 Paris Olympic mascot “Friggy”. …
The third challenge is also the most worrying: preventing terrorist attacks. The reason why the idea of opening on the Seine River is considered an almost impossible task by the police is because the cost of launching a terrorist attack here is very low, but the cost of prevention is high, and besides there is no established operating model to refer to , even where to set safety standards is a problem.
If we really want to strictly enforce it, in this 6-kilometer section, every sewer outlet in the river, every manhole cover on the trail, every crack in the brick wall on the embankment, and every building on the street , each household’s mailbox and windows, as well as the attic and countless other places, all need to be comprehensively inspected before opening.
This also means that if someone intends to engage in behavior that endangers public safety or intimidates the public, he can easily achieve his goal – anyone can place a small small box under a mailbox or a manhole cover without being noticed. Explosives; or sneaking into a penthouse party in the first row of a river view through a friend of a friend and attacking the opening ceremony attendees from a high position. In addition, the possibility of drone attacks from the air must be considered. This part requires the support of the French Air Force.
To ensure public safety, every conceivable and unimagined possibility must be considered. In short, in a situation where everything is possible but comprehensive control is impossible, how to deploy security manpower so that they can fulfill their duties without wasting public funds is a very vexing problem.
The difficulty in defining safety standards is not only caused by the nature of the space itself, but also because “how to define the disasters to be prevented” is itself a problem. Of course, all resources must be exhausted to prevent terrorist attacks that may cause casualties. But if some troublemakers use simple items (such as lighters, glass bottles, or small firecrackers) to create small chaos, even if it does not directly cause personal danger, it may still cause panic among the audience.
Even if these unpreventable small incidents do not cause a security breach, they may undermine the confidence of countries around the world in the organizers. However, is it necessary to limit the level of security checks? If it is deemed unnecessary or the funding does not allow for such an incident to occur, causing subsequent events to be canceled due to safety concerns, who should bear the consequences? The particularity of the Olympic Games makes security issues not only a security issue, but also a complex issue of funding resources and national face.
The particularity of the Olympic Games makes security issues not only a security issue, but also a complex issue of funding resources and national face. The picture shows… Due to various safety considerations, the number of spectators at the opening ceremony has been continuously revised down from the 2 million originally imagined by the mayor of Paris to 320,000…
▌From beautiful imagination back to reality
Based on the above considerations, the number of spectators at the opening ceremony has been continuously revised down from the 2 million originally imagined by the mayor of Paris to 320,000. However, even so, the required security costs are still very large, and the first priority is to raise manpower.
During the Olympic Games, just for the competition part, an average of regarding 20,000 security personnel were needed every day to maintain security at various venues. Since it was decided that the opening ceremony would be held on the Seine, the manpower required has soared. In addition to the expected mobilization of the national police and gendarmerie (45,000), the Paris police force (2,000) and foreign police forces (approximately 2,500), tenders must also be solicited from private security companies (estimated to require 1 8,000 to 24,000 manpower).
However, following the French security industry streamlined its manpower during the Covid-19 epidemic, it has not yet returned to pre-epidemic standards. More than 10 security companies contracted by the Olympic organizers have been unable to recruit sufficient employees. In order to make up for the manpower gap, the French Ministry of the Interior, in conjunction with other ministries, has offered various discounts to recruit short-term workers, with the main targets being students, the unemployed and retired people. However, with only one month left before the Olympics (June 2024), there are still 400 vacancies.
Assuming that there is still insufficient manpower by then, the French government will not even rule out calling in the army to support it. In fact, the French national army has already played a key role in the preparations for the Olympics: the air force will be responsible for air security on the night of the opening ceremony, fully monitoring the sky with a radius of 150 kilometers centered on Paris.
Paris police conduct training exercises on the Seine River. Photo/AFP
The original setting of promoting public participation through open space has also been greatly discounted due to various practical considerations. In addition to the significant reduction in the number of people, admission qualifications are also subject to tangible and intangible restrictions. The audience area is divided into two floors, the lower floor is the paid area, and the ticket prices range from 90 to 2,700 euros. The original plan of the upper management was to provide free admission. However, in order to have a better understanding of the composition of the audience, admission was changed to ticketed admission, and the tickets were sent in batches to various Olympic co-organizers, who then donated them. In other words, if you don’t have deep pockets and don’t know anyone who works in a relevant unit, you can only watch the broadcast in front of TV.
However, no matter how the organizers promised to make the most complete planning, they might not calm the concerns regarding the safety issues of the opening ceremony. In December last year, Macron said for the first time that if intelligence or police units detect the risk of a terrorist attack in advance, they will naturally launch Plan B or even Plan C. However, no one knew the specific content of the filing at the time. .
It was not until June this year, with only 7 weeks left before the Olympics, that Plan B took a basic shape: the alternate venues for the opening ceremony were the Eiffel Tower and Chateau Palace Square(Trocadéro), and only players from various countries will enter the venue, and there will be no spectator area. If we do have to go to Plan B, you can imagine how frustrating it would be for the city of Paris. However, no matter how reluctant you are, you still have to return from your beautiful imagination to reality.
Another unavoidable reality: the cost of the opening ceremony on the Seine is estimated to be more than 10 times that of the London Olympics opening ceremony (approximately between 300 and 500 million euros, while the London Olympics opening ceremony cost 27 million pounds).
Regardless, there is something irresistibly attractive regarding the idea of a river opening. People who intend to attend the opening ceremony should probably avoid knowing too many worrying details, otherwise their interest in participating in the event will disappear: According to a report just published in June this year, by Schlesboff, a former consultant and public relations director of Cojop in Paris, (Sébastian Chesbeuf) co-authored with two sports journalists “The Untold Inside Story of the Olympics”(La face cachée des JO, temporary translation), two senior security personnel interviewed in the book who did not know each other and did not want to be named unanimously stated that they would never let their families attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be the first Olympic Games in history
Paris Olympics: A River of Dreams, a Sea of Concerns
The 2024 Paris Olympics are set to be a unique spectacle, but the decision to hold the opening ceremony on the Seine River raises a storm of concerns regarding security, logistics, and cost.
▌A River of Dreams
The idea of holding the opening ceremony on the Seine was born out of a desire to showcase Paris as a city of freedom, openness, and popular participation. The vision was to create a carnival-like atmosphere, with a parade of boats carrying athletes and dignitaries down the river, creating a truly memorable experience.
The idea was met with initial enthusiasm, capturing the hearts of organizers. The French government and the city of Paris wholeheartedly embraced the ambition, seeing it as a chance to highlight the beauty of the Seine and to present a modern, innovative face to the world.
▌Facing the Nightmare
However, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare for the executors. As plans started taking shape, the daunting reality of security challenges, logistical hurdles, and staggering costs began to surface.
▌Unprecedented Security Concerns
The Seine River, a sprawling, open space, presents a unique security challenge that is far more complex than the traditional stadium setting. Here’s why:
- Massive Area: The 6-kilometer stretch of the Seine requires extensive security measures, including barriers, multiple entrances and exits, and a significantly larger security force compared to a stadium.
- Difficult Access Control: The vast area makes it difficult to fully control access and filter out potential threats. Every corner, every manhole, and every building becomes a potential point of vulnerability.
- Elevated Terror Threat: The Olympics, a global stage, attract heightened attention from extremist groups, making terrorist attacks a real and significant threat. The open nature of the Seine river makes it an even more attractive target for potential attackers.
- No Standard Operating Procedures: There’s no established playbook for securing a river opening ceremony, making the planning and execution of security measures a complex and unprecedented undertaking.
▌Logistical Nightmares
In addition to security concerns, logistical aspects pose their own challenges:
- Crowd Management: Managing hundreds of thousands of spectators in an open space is a daunting task. Ensuring smooth arrival, seating, and evacuation poses a significant logistical challenge.
- Riverbank Capacity: The capacity and structural integrity of the riverbanks need to be thoroughly assessed to handle the influx of people. Concerns regarding the load capacity of the platforms and the risk of collapse add to the logistical worries.
- Accessibility: The open nature of the river creates limitations on accessibility for people with disabilities, requiring additional planning and resources.
▌Soaring Costs
The dream comes with a hefty price tag, with estimates suggesting that the Seine opening will cost significantly more than previous Olympic ceremonies:
- Security Costs: The high security measures required for the Seine opening will significantly inflate security costs. Deploying a larger force and investing in specialized equipment will put a strain on the organizers’ budget.
- Infrastructure Development: Building platforms, lighting, and sound systems for the river opening will come with substantial infrastructure development costs.
- Logistical Expenses: The logistical challenges of managing a massive crowd and transporting athletes and dignitaries will require significant financial outlays.
▌From Dreams to Reality
The organizers are aware of the challenges and are working tirelessly to mitigate the risks. The number of spectators has been reduced to 320,000, and Plan B has been devised for the scenario where the opening ceremony is moved to a more controlled venue like the Eiffel Tower or the Trocadéro.
While there’s no doubt that the Seine opening holds a certain allure, it’s a risky venture. The organizers are walking a tightrope between achieving the dream and ensuring the safety and security of the event. It will be fascinating to see how they manage the complex logistics, overcome the security concerns, and meet the high expectations of the world for the 2024 Paris Olympics.