A stringent security plan for the 2024 Olympics, A lavish Olympics opening ceremony is being prepared for Friday in Paris, which will officially mark the start of the games amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and potential risks during their run-up to the Games.
The parade will be accompanied by over 45,000 police officers, 10,000 soldiers, and 2,000 private security guards from the Paris Police Department and the French National Guard to ensure the safety of the parade along the Seine river and its surroundings.
A Reuters report reported that about 7,000 athletes would be participating in the parade which will take place on barges and move past famous landmarks while over 300,000 people will be watching from the riverbanks.
French officials made it clear that, in spite of the increased security measures, the opening ceremony and the games themselves were not in danger.
An anti-terror law was passed by the legislature in 2005, and there were 155 people needed to be placed under surveillance measures with strict limits on movement as part of a large security operation, according to data released by the government and a review by Reuters.
According to officials, Israeli athletes are escorted by elite tactical units for the entirety of the Olympics, as well as being protected 24 hours a day by 24 hour security units.
At the opening ceremony of the Olympics, many world leaders will be in attendance, and snipers will be stationed on rooftops to protect them. There has been a sweep of the riverbed of the Seine to search for bombs, and Paris’ airspace has been closed as a precaution.
As part of the overall security package for the Olympic Games, radar-surveillance planes, Reaper drones, and fighter jets such as the Mirage 2000 will be on standby to intercept aircraft that cross into restricted airspace during the Games.
It’s time to enjoy the games, so have fun
In a video he posted to his X account, French President Emmanuel Macron said in the video that everything is ready. Seeing the Eiffel Tower from above, he said, “even the rings (of the Olympics) are there.” He went on to say, “I hope you have a great time.”
The French president, who won a second term two years ago, hoped that the Olympics would be a catalyst for his legacy to be further cemented.
He has, however, taken a hit due to his failure to bet on a snap legislative election, which has weakened him and has cast a shadow over his international role as well.
This high level of security also means that locals are grumbling about it a lot, since police have erected metal barriers to enclose neighbourhoods ahead of the opening ceremony, making them unable to enter without authorization, namely passes with QR codes.
Because of the restrictions imposed by the French government, the cafés along the banks of the Seine, which normally bustle with activity during the summer, have been very quiet this year.
Macron will hope that as soon as the Olympics have officially been started, the mood of the nation will improve, but so far that has not happened.
After Moscow invaded Ukraine, Moscow has been forced to reduce the number of its normally huge delegation of athletes to 15 in order to meet the IOC’s requirements for competing as neutral athletes. According to the IOC’s list published on the 20th of July, 15 athletes are eligible to compete as neutrals following the invasion.
A total of 17 Belarusian athletes will compete as neutrals in the competition.
Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian delegation is sending 140 athletes to the games – its smallest contingent since 1991.
What time is the floating parade going to take place?
The ceremony, which marks the official start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is scheduled for 7:30 pm local time on Thursday, August 8, and will pass by many of the French capital’s famous landmarks, including the Louvre museum and the Pont des Arts bridge, as it passes through broad daylight.
According to the choreographer of the event, Maud Le Pladec, opens new tab, there will be no place along the riverbank or bridge that will not be filled with music, dance, or performance at the ceremony, which will take advantage of all the historic monuments that surround the Seine.
Opening ceremonies will take place outside stadiums for the first time.
There have been no details announced regarding which artists will be carrying the torch and lighting the Olympic cauldron, marking the official start of the Games.
To keep everything under wraps, the artistic team rehearsed privately.
It is unknown what the weather will be like for the open-air ceremony. The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies, while organisers hoped to see a sunset that would illuminate the buildings at the end of the event.
There are over 10,500 athletes participating in the Olympics, which will be held in Paris for the first time in 100 years. Wednesday marked the start of the competition, with the first of 329 gold medals being awarded on Saturday. August 11 will be the date of the closing ceremony.
Timenews1 provided that news.
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