French president Emmanuel Macron stated that the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics could be shifted from the River Seine to the national stadium, if the security threat is too high. France is on high alert ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
“This opening ceremony is a world first. We can do it and we are going to do it,” Mr Macron said in an interview.
The security concerns are high for the opening ceremony, which will include boats carrying athletes along the Seine river on the 6-kilometer parade, and crowd watching from the river embankments. More than 300,000 spectators are expected to witness the ceremony apart from 200,000 viewing from buildings along the Seine. Marcon added that law enforcement forces will be prepared at an unexpected level.
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The event, starting on July 26, will make history. It will become the first Olympics opening ceremony to be held outside the stadium. Around 10,500 athletes from all over the world will parade through the heart of the city. The athletes will parade along the Seine river, ending in front of Trocadero. The French government also decided that tourists would not be given free access to witness the opening ceremony. Instead, it will be on an invitation only basis.
France has been attacked by the Islamic state, with the Bataclan theatre massacre in 2015 being one of the deadliest.
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