Olympic security has barricaded central Paris off to all but a few residents. Has it all gone too far?
It’s like a crime scene. Metal fences have been erected, paths cleared and restaurants lie empty. The barricades are being likened to an iron curtain and – in a level of security the DDR would have envied –residents or those with a medical reason need a QR code to get through checkpoints. Restricted areas have been designated as red or grey zones as part of anti-terrorist protections.
Yes, in a scene comparable to the dark days of Covid, Paris is in lockdown. This time however, it’s due to the Olympic Games which are for the first time ever being held largely outdoors under the slogan ‘en plein air’. “With events taking place away from the traditional stadium setting, sport will fill the city,” the organisers say. “The spectacle and the emotional experience will be completely immersive.” The Opening Ceremony will for the first time be held outside the stadium, in a four-hour boat parade along the Seine.
There is currently no free access to the heart of Paris, with motorised vehicles banned from a wide perimeter around the river. The police installed have a security fence along the river which is where the Opening Ceremony will be held on Friday.“This means that to enter the area which runs along........