Olympics 2024: Lockdown in central Paris as athletes arrive

Paris, known as the City of Lights, is undergoing a transformation ahead of the July 26 to August 11 Olympics, which are expected to attract around one million spectators.

French security forces began sealing off large parts of central Paris on Thursday ahead of next week's Olympics opening ceremony on the Seine River.

Central districts along its banks have been closed to most vehicles since 5:00 a.m. on Thursday as a result of the inaugural parade covering a six-kilometer (four-mile) stretch of the river.

Anyone wishing to enter the high- security 'grey zone' on either side of the Seine, such as residents or tourists with hotel reservations in the area, will need a security pass in the form of a QR code.

Paris, known as the City of Lights, is undergoing a transformation ahead of the July 26 to August 11 Olympics , which are expected to attract around one million spectators.

Temporary sports stadiums have been set up at iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides or the Place de la Concorde, while the new Olympic VIP lanes are the latest addition to traffic.

Paris 2024 director-general Etienne Thobois told AFP last month: 'It's true that our concept of putting a large number of temporary spaces in the center of the city, obviously, has obstacles, but I think That people are watching what we are doing.'

Many central metro train stations will also be closed from Thursday until the day after the opening ceremony, which will see six to seven thousand athletes cross the Seine on about a hundred ships and river boats.

This will be the first time the Olympics have been held outside the main athletics stadium, with five million people watching in person from the stands, riverside and viewing apartments.

The Village is open

Ever since the announcement in 2021, the elaborate security operation has been troubling senior police officers as it might be difficult to keep such a large number of spectators safe in such a large and densely populated urban area.

About 45,000 officers will be on duty for the July 26 parade, including thousands of soldiers and private security agents.

Police in eastern France announced on Wednesday that they had arrested a suspected far-right extremist who had made threats against the Games in a group on the Telegram phone application.

The installation of thousands of metal security barriers along the opening ceremony route in Paris has angered some residents, who feel shut out.

"It's like being on the planet of the apes," Isa Yago, who lives on L'Saint-Louis in central Paris, told AFP from behind a barricade. They just need to throw some peanuts at us.'

On Thursday, the first athletes will arrive to take up residence in the newly constructed Olympic Village on the northern outskirts of the capital.

Comprised of around 40 different low-rise housing blocks, the complex has been constructed as a showcase of modern construction techniques utilizing low-carbon concrete, water recycling and reused building materials.

The aim was to do away with air conditioning, although Olympic delegations have ordered about 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes, fearing the effects of high temperatures on their performance.

Andre-Pierre Gobert, deputy head of the French delegation, told AFP that major countries such as Britain, the United States, New Zealand, Brazil and Switzerland were arriving on the first day.

At full capacity, the village will host 14,500 people, including nine thousand athletes.

After the Olympics, the Paralympics will be held from August 28 to September 8.