France hopes to dazzle the world on Friday with a spectacular Olympics opening ceremony through the heart of Paris, officially kicking off Games loaded with security threats at a time of rising global
Around 45,000 police officers, 10,000 military, and 2,000 private security personnel will guard the parade along the Seine River, its banks, and surrounding monuments.
A procession of barges will carry almost 7,000 athletes along the river past Paris’ most famous sites, while over 300,000 fans will line the banks.
Scores of world leaders will be in Paris for the opening ceremony, which will be protected by snipers on rooftops. The Seine’s riverbed has been swept for bombs, and Paris’ airspace will be closed.
For the Games more generally, radar-surveillance planes and Reaper drones will watch sensitive sites from above, and Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be on standby to intercept aircraft straying into restricted airspace.
EVERYTHING READY
“Everything is ready,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video he posted on X. “Even the (Olympics) rings are there,” he said, overlooking the Eiffel tower. “Enjoy the Games!”
Macron, who won a second mandate two years ago, had hoped the Olympics would cement his legacy.
But his failed bet on a snap legislative election has weakened him and is casting a shadow over his moment on the international stage.
( Source: Reuters)
