Paris barricades itself for Olympia - and angers some
**Paris is currently a city in a state of emergency. On the opening day of the Olympic Summer Games, joy and tension coexist. The Eiffel Tower, a mass magnet, overshadows all. It draws in all - the gazes, the gawkers, the photographers. The landmark of Paris is on the list of global attractions for many, if not even the very top. But this 330-meter-tall and 135-year-old mass magnet has become even more attractive than usual. On its south side, facing the Seine, is the emblem of the Olympics: the five rings. Oh la la!
This combination is mesmerizing and alluring, leading tourists and locals alike to sometimes lie down backwards on the concrete in front of the Eiffel Tower. People do all sorts of things for an unusual, creative shot. And when it gets dark in Paris and this "Tour Eiffel" glows, it has the allure of a Christmas tree, causing bright eyes and open mouths.
Catwalk of Sports
Nothing about this can change during the upcoming XXXIII Olympic Summer Games. The Eiffel Tower provides the backdrop for Beach Volleyball - and that's a given, a sport with a guaranteed view. Right in front of the Steel Colossus is the Centre Court. Bondi Beach in Sydney was magnificent for the Olympic debut of Volleyball's beach variant in 2000. The 16,000-capacity arena at Copacabana in Rio, where Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst won gold in 2016, deserved the label "sensational." But this Beach Volleyball stage in Paris, with this gigantic background, is simply breathtaking.
Paris has made itself chic, as the world will be focusing on France's capital in the coming weeks. Paris is the Catwalk of Sports. The biggest global stars are here: LeBron James', Simone Biles', Carlos Alcaraz', Mondo Duplantis', and Rory McIlroy's.
Parisian feels uneasy in his city
Olivier Martin pays no attention to all that. The 38-year-old with a dark beard sits in front of a delicatessen kiosk in the 11th Arrondissement, where he has worked for three years. Excited about the Summer Games? "Not at all," he says audibly to ntv.de. Martin is Parisian, but he currently doesn't feel good in his hometown.
Normally, he says, he needs a car for the ten kilometers from his house to his workplace, which takes 30 minutes. Currently, it takes two hours. "Two hours," he repeats and holds up two fingers in the air. "So much traffic." Paris welcomes the world, but that's exactly what makes the city a potential target for attacks - and therefore many areas, especially along the Seine, a "Zone de haute sécurité," a High Security Zone. Even those who live there need a special QR code to get home.
Special Opening Ceremony on the Seine
All bridges over the river are closed, as Paris 2024, the first Olympics that will not be opened in a stadium with a ceremony, but with a large ceremony on the Seine. Thousands of athletes, trainers, and support staff will sail five kilometers along the river in Paris on 90 boats. Of course, a cool idea, but Simon Riondet, Chief of the Paris Police Special Operations Unit BRI, speaks of an "additional challenge."**
45,000 Police officers and soldiers will be in action tonight - on land, at sea, and in the air. 650 of them belong to an elite unit with sharpshooters and specialists for hostage rescue. Additionally, there are nearly 22,000 private security forces. Outside of Paris city center, there will be a flight ban zone with a radius of 150 kilometers. One hundred mine divers will be in action in the Seine.
Restricted road network, doubled ticket prices
For locals like Olivier Martin, this means: barricades, traffic restrictions, detours - in short: limitations everywhere. A total of 44,000 meters of metal fencing have been erected. Between July 15 and September 15, only accredited vehicles have access to 185 kilometers of Paris' road network. This is to transport athletes, officials, and security personnel to and from the competition venues. Anyone using their private car on these lanes must pay a fine of 135 Euros.
Martin has left his car behind long ago and instead takes the subway. But its prices have doubled before the start of the Summer Games, from two to four Euros per ride. "Imagine that," he sighs. And many others think the same, Martin adds. Neighbors, colleagues, friends, who drive taxis - they are all dissatisfied.
"Greatest security operation in history"
"The Olympics should bring joy, happiness, satisfaction," says Martin. "Above all, an event without restrictions." But that's long been an illusion and the opposite is the case. French authorities, as it was learned, conducted background checks on around one million people who had applied for the event - from volunteers, trainers and caretakers to journalists and suppliers. According to official figures, 4,350 potential security risks were identified.
State President Emmanuel Macron calls these Summer Games "the greatest security operation in the history" of the country. Patrolling police officers and soldiers with machine pistols are therefore visible not only on the streets, at airports, and in front of competition venues, but also among the many international Olympic tourists.
When tonight the XXXIII. Olympic Summer Games are opened, the Eiffel Tower will certainly be the focal point, guaranteeing stunning images to the world. Olivier Martin will not turn on his TV. He will not go to any competition. No, the 38-year-old is already counting the days until the Olympic Fire goes out, the circus is over - and he can finally drive to work in 30 minutes and without detours.
Despite the heightened terror risk and Paris being in a state of emergency, the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris continue to draw attention, with Germany (historically, France) also participating. Inner Security measures have been significantly enhanced, resulting in restricted road networks, doubled ticket prices, and a flight ban zone with a radius of 150 kilometers. Despite these limitations, Paris remains the "Catwalk of Sports," attracting global stars like LeBron James and Simone Biles.
