💙 🔷 Not impressed by Big Tech in Q3? Explore these Blue Chip Bargains insteadUnlock them all

Olympics-Big police presence for opening ceremony but no changes after Trump attack, official says

Published 07/17/2024, 09:43 AM
Updated 07/17/2024, 09:46 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A CRS police speedboat patrols on the River Seine near a floating barrier with the business district of La Defence seen in the distance, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralymics Games in Paris, France, July 13, 2024.  REUTERS/Kevin Coom

By Kurt Hall

PARIS (Reuters) - Some 45,000 police will secure the Paris Olympics' July 26 opening ceremony, with over 100 heads of state and government set to attend, a senior official said on Wednesday, adding no changes were planned after the weekend attack on Donald Trump.

The ceremony, staged for the first time outside a stadium, will involve around 80 boats ferrying international athletes on a six km (3.7 mile) route along the river Seine towards the Eiffel Tower, said the official, Lambis Konstantinidis.

Athletes and performers will sail past some of the French capital's most stunning landmarks. But, with more than 300,000 spectators expected to watch, it is also a major security headache, especially at a time of war in Gaza and Ukraine.

"It's a six km route, so it's a huge perimeter to monitor. That's why we need that many (security) people," Konstantinidis, the Games' head of planning and coordination, told reporters.

"Our security plans are very dynamic. They always take into consideration the latest events and try to adapt," he said during a tour of the Games' security headquarters, adding that they were in close contact with counterparts abroad.

Last Saturday's assassination attempt against former U.S. president Trump at an election rally in Pennsylvania has not changed the security plans for the Games, Konstantinidis said.

"We have very close collaboration with the U.S. security services and its secret service. So we are sharing also any information we have," Konstantinidis said. "We're very confident that we're on the same page but we have not had to change any of our plans as a result of that very unfortunate incident."

More than 100 people will be working around the clock at the Games' security headquarters in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris, he said.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A CRS police speedboat patrols on the River Seine near a floating barrier with the business district of La Defence seen in the distance, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralymics Games in Paris, France, July 13, 2024.  REUTERS/Kevin Coombs/File Photo

Conflict abroad and security concerns at home led the French government earlier this year to raise its security alert to its highest level.

A man was arrested in May in the French town of Saint-Etienne, suspected of planning an attack in the name of Islamic State at the city's soccer stadium during the Olympics.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.