Thousands of French security forces locked down large parts of central Paris over the past three days, ahead of the hugely complex Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.
The opening parade on July 26 along six kilometers of the river Seine led to the closure of central river-side districts to most vehicles.
Traffic on the city’s boulevards was lighter than usual, with many drivers staying away, while tourist numbers are down and many Paris residents have headed off on holiday to avoid the disruption.
“Our clients are down by 50 percent,” said Renaud, a senior waiter at the famed Deux Magots cafe in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, which is inside the new security perimeter.
“Normally we have people queueing out the door,” he told AFP, gesturing towards the numerous empty seats on the outdoor terrace.
With the opening ceremony just days away, organizers are also putting the finishing touches to the temporary sports stadiums at iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides or the Place de la Concorde.
Advertising boards, new artwork and Olympics bunting are going up, while the creation of Olympic VIP traffic lanes this week are the latest change to the capital’s streets.
“The Olympics have brought us nothing but misery,” taxi driver Rabah Ouanes, 53, complained last week, saying traffic had been dreadful since April because of all the construction work.
“I have lots of clients who get in and then abandon their journey when they see they’re not getting anywhere.”
‘SUPER EXCITED’
Elsewhere, the first athletes started arriving late last week at the newly built Olympic Village in the Saint-Ouen northern suburb of the capital which urban planners are hoping to regenerate.
Comprising around 40 different low-rise housing blocs, the complex has been built as a showcase of innovative construction techniques using low-carbon concrete, water recycling and reclaimed building materials.
It was intended to be free of air-conditioning, although Olympic delegations have ordered around 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes out of fear of high temperatures.
UNPRECEDENTED CEREMONY
Securing the Paris Games remains the biggest priority for French authorities, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin insisting Wednesday that there was “no credible threat” against them at this stage.
The opening ceremony has been giving senior police officers cold sweats ever since it was announced in 2021 because of the difficulty of protecting so many spectators in such a large, densely packed urban area.
Around 6,000-7,000 athletes are set to sail down the Seine on nearly a hundred barges and river boats.
It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, with up to 500,000 people set to watch in person from stands, on the river banks and from the overlooking apartments.
Anyone wanting to enter the highest-security “grey zone” along both banks of the Seine, such as residents or tourists with hotel reservations in the area, need a security pass in the form of a QR code.
The installation of tens of thousands of metal security barriers all along the route and around the temporary venues has also outraged some Parisians.
“It’s a bit like being in Planet of the Apes,” Aissa Yago, who lives on the Ile Saint Louis in central Paris, told AFP. “All they need to do is throw us some peanuts.”
Martine Dubois, a 74-year-old living in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, said the Olympics were “a real inconvenience”.
The metro stop she uses for work was one of 10 closed for security reasons on Thursday and the barriers “make you feel like you’re living in a prison,” she told AFP.
Fans across Afghanistan meanwhile can tune in to watch the Games on Ariana Television.
