Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Credit MUSTAFA YALCIN / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu via AFP 10:37 p.m., April 8, 2024

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, believes that maintaining the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the Seine remains a “good idea” despite the context of a high threat of attack. “We have no distinct terrorist threat to the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says Gérald Darmanin. 

Maintaining the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games on the Seine remains a "good idea" despite the context of a high threat of attack, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin declared Monday to Le Parisien, assuring that all delegations will parade to the opening of the Games.

“As long as they are very secure, major events are undoubtedly among the safest places, those where there will be the least possibility of taking action,” the minister declared to the daily. “So, yes, I think it’s a good idea to keep this ceremony on the banks of the Seine,” he added. 

“None of the 205 delegations refuses to participate”

“Today, we have no clear terrorist threat to the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he insisted, specifying that he was not “working” on a plan B for the opening ceremony on July 26. “None of the 205 delegations refuses to participate, neither the American team, nor the Israeli team, nor the Iranian team,” he said, seeing it as proof “that we are reassuring them about security”. 

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The online platform allowing you to register to access the security perimeters around the competition sites will be operational on May 10, the minister also indicated. This platform concerns “several tens of thousands of people: residents, rights holders (guests), consumers, people working in the sector”. Without registration on this site, "you will not be able to enter", said Gérald Darmanin, explaining, without details, that "security screenings will be carried out" for registered people.

At this stage, 195,000 screenings of people accredited to the Olympics have already been carried out, out of a total of one million to be carried out. “161 S files” were dismissed, including “105 for radical Islam, 35 from the ultra-right, 18 from the ultra-left and 3 for foreign interference,” he said. All 285,000 private security agents who will work for the Olympics were also screened. There were “1,392 refusals”. The latter had their “professional card withdrawn because they had a criminal record, because they were on file or in an irregular situation,” said Gérald Darmanin.