PARIS: The Paris Olympics made them risky and difficult to police, but French security forces kept thousands of athletes and millions of fans safe – a “gold medal” achievement according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
The two-week sporting extravaganza that ended on Sunday prompted a security operation unlike any other in French history, with the mobilization of around 75,000 police, soldiers and private security guards on the opening night of July 26.
There have been incidents over the past fortnight – an attack on the French railways, a pitch invader at the men's 100m final – but nothing that disrupted the event overall to the widespread relief of the organisers.
“These Olympic Games involve both major French medals and a major gold medal for the Interior Ministry and the security forces,” Darmanin said last week while visiting serving officers in Marseille in southern France.
The sense of satisfaction and self-congratulatory tone of his comments reflected the immense pressure and doubts raised ahead of the Games about whether France's already strained resources would be up to the task.
Their first test was to secure the Olympic torch relay, a journey through 450 French cities and overseas territories.
Then came unexpected parliamentary elections in July, followed by the unprecedented opening ceremony along a six-kilometer stretch of the River Seine that had given planners sleepless nights since it was unveiled in 2021.
Police officers stand guard over the River Seine ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on July 26, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
In the end, the 300,000 ticketed spectators watching from the riverbank were troubled by nothing but downpours, with the capital's streets flooded with uniformed officers.
“For those of us who have been here on the ground, we've seen the security footprint here. It's impressive,” Nicole Deal, head of security for Team USA, said on the day of the ceremony. “I've never seen (one) quite like this in any other game.”
Two weeks of competition meant packed stadiums, with 743,000 people visiting sports arenas on a single day on 30 July.
Other events from triathlons to marathons took place through the capital's streets.
Around a million people lined the road for the men's and women's road races on August 3-4.
“Without a doubt, French security services deserve a gold medal,” French criminologist and university professor Alain Bauer, a vocal critic of the open-air inauguration ceremony format, told AFP.
He said it was due to “exceptional investment” and “substantial changes” which saw organizers notably reduce the size of the opening ceremony under pressure from the Home Office.
After being banned from the games, Russia was said by French officials to be plotting to destabilize them, with France's cyber security agency on high alert for attacks that could disrupt the organizing committee, ticket sales or transport.
The arrest of a 40-year-old suspected member of the Russian intelligence service on the eve of the games made nerves laugh.
The war in Gaza, threats from the Daesh group and France's history of domestic Islamist terror plots and far-right extremism also raised concerns about the possibility of an attack that would destroy the party.
However, not everyone has found the security operation something to celebrate.
Charities complained loudly about repressive policing of the homeless, sex workers and migrants ahead of the Games, while anti-Olympic protest groups say they have been prevented from exercising their democratic rights.
About 45 activists from the climate change group Extinction Rebellion were arrested by police the day after the opening ceremony as they prepared to occupy a bridge over the River Seine in central Paris.
The “Scage 2024” group, which has been running so-called “Toxic Tours” highlighting the downsides of the games, said it had been prevented from guiding a group of around 20 people to sites in northern Paris last week.
About 30 riot police and four police cars prevented the tour and three members of the collective were taken to a local police station for questioning.
“No charges were brought against any of the arrested individuals at the end of police custody, further evidence that this was in reality an attempted intimidation,” the group wrote on Instagram.
