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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost

Some 6,000 police will be deployed for the arrival of the Olympic flame in France next month, authorities said Friday as they announced bonuses for security forces to avert threatened industrial action.

Published: 27 April 2024 08:57 CEST
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
Greece's Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos presents the Olympic torch to the President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, Tony Estangue on July 26th. Photo: Angelos Tzorttzinis/AFP

The police presence in the southern port of Marseille when the torch arrives from Greece on May 8 will be bigger than for a visit to the city by Pope Francis in September last year.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said an elite tactical unit, bomb disposal teams, nautical police and an anti-drone team would be in place when a 19th-century sailing boat, the Belem, enters the port. Organisers expect 150,000 people to be watching.

The extra forces will be in addition to local police and firefighters.

The torch was handed over to French Olympics organisers in Athens on Friday and the Belem will set sail on Saturday. The Paris Olympics start on July 26.

Darmanin said more than 1,000 boats that will complete the journey with the Belem will all be checked.

The minister said there was no “specific threat” to the torch event, but that law enforcement was prepared for scenarios including a “radical Islamism” attack along with far-right and far-left extremists.

France is on a heightened Olympics security alert. A 16-year-old boy was formally charged Friday after he allegedly said on social media he wanted to make an explosive belt and die a martyr at the Paris Games, anti-terrorism prosecutors said.

Investigators said the youth had been looking at “Jihadist propaganda” online.

Authorities had also feared action by police after unions threatened to disrupt the torch relay around the country, accusing the government of blocking promised bonuses.

The government announced Friday that a 50-euro monthly bonus would start for some police from July 1, which would be increased to 100 euros a month in 2025.

Unions said that Paris region police on duty during the Olympics would get a 1,900-euro bonus. This was confirmed in a letter sent to unions on Wednesday.

Unions welcomed the move but the Alliance Police Nationale said it would remain “vigilant” and could still order action over the taxation of the bonuses and overtime hours.

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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Paris Olympics: Who needs a QR code to get around and how to sign up for one

The platform to request a QR code to get around certain areas of Paris during the Olympics and Paralympics launches on Friday. Here are the groups that will need a QR code, how and when to request one, and where they will be necessary.

Published: 10 May 2024 13:09 CEST
Paris Olympics: Who needs a QR code to get around and how to sign up for one

During the period prior to the opening ceremony and throughout the Olympic Games, certain areas of Paris will be sectioned off into zones, with some of them requiring a QR code to enter.

As such, the QR code (pass numérique) requirement will not concern everyone in Paris during the Games. It will primarily affect those who work and live in areas in close proximity to the opening ceremony site and game venues, as well as priority groups including taxi and delivery drivers.

During the Olympic Games, the different security zones will include: SILT areas (Sécurité Intérieure et Lutte contre le Terrorisme), as well as grey, blue, and red zones.  You can find detailed maps here, courtesy of the Paris town hall. You can also watch a short video (in French) explaining the zones from the Paris police prefecture.

If you are not sure whether a place you want to go in Paris will be inside a security zone, you can check by entering the address and the date/time of your visit into an interactive map on the Anticiper les Jeux website.

READ MORE: How to check for Paris Olympics disruption in your area

When will the QR code be accessible?

The platform to request a QR code went online on Friday, but it will only open to the public starting on Monday, Laurent Nunez, the head of the Paris police, told Franceinfo.

How will it work?

You will go onto the website for the Paris police préfecture and upload any required documents.

After verifying your application, you will receive the QR code to enter and exit restricted zones. According to the Paris town hall website, this may not be available until just a few days before restrictions take effect.

For people with difficulty accessing the internet, local authorities will offer an alternative, which will be more clear within the coming days.

The platform will be available in English as well as in French.

Who needs to get a QR code?

First, the platform will be focused on people who live and work in central Paris in the area immediately surrounding the location of the Opening Ceremony (along the Seine river), which will be a ‘SILT’ zone. This will include tourists staying in hotels in the area.

They will be required to upload information such as an identity document and proof of address. For those with vehicles, they will also need to add proof of the garage/car park location, and potentially also their vehicle registration document (carte grise).

If you work in the area, you will need to upload proof of where you are employed – either a ‘professional card’ (such as home-help workers) or an attestation from your employer.

Eventually, people living in these areas will also have to register any guests ahead of time too.

Basically, anyone looking to enter the SILT zone in the days prior to the Opening Ceremony and during the Ceremony will need to have a good reason for doing so and they will need to register for a QR code.

After initially opening to the public on Monday, the platform will also become available to other motorists who will need to drive through restricted ‘red’ zones (eg delivery workers, taxi drivers, etc) during the Games.

People simply walking or cycling through red or blue zones will NOT need a QR code.

What are the zones?

SILT (or ‘anti-terrorism’) zones – To enter these areas, you will need either a ticket or a QR code, plus a form of identification. 

During the majority of the Olympic Games, the SILT zones will only surround Games venues. However, shortly beforehand (starting July 18) and during the Opening Ceremony (on July 26) the SILT zone will extend along the Seine and into central Paris.

People who live and work in these areas will need to register to get a QR code to enter and exit, either by foot or by car. Otherwise, they will be blocked off to non-ticket holders.

On the maps for the Opening Ceremony, they are marked in grey.

Zones surrounding the Opening Ceremony area in the days leading up to the event. CREDIT: Paris Police Préfecture

Restricted areas during the Opening Ceremony. CREDIT: Paris Police Préfecture

Throughout the rest of the Games, the SILT zones are marked with a dark blue line, denoting the area surrounding event locations. You can see an example below;

SILT Zones during the events. (CREDIT: Paris Police Préfecture)

Red zones – these are closed to all vehicles and motorbikes, with the exception of local residents, those visiting sick / vulnerable people, emergency and rescue services – these people can register in advance for a special QR code.

It’s important to note that this does NOT affect people walking or cycling through these areas, they can enter as normal and do not need a QR code.

Blue zones – closed to vehicles and motorbikes with the exception of those outlined above for red zones, plus anyone who can provide a justification such as delivery drivers. Pedestrians and cyclists can move freely through the blue zones.

Licensed Paris taxis will be able to enter red and blue zones, as will VTC drivers such as Uber who have registered themselves and their vehicle in advance.

Metro stations in the red and blue zones may be closed or temporarily closed, although Metro lines will continue to run, but without stopping at certain stations.

Grey zones – On most maps, except for the Opening Ceremony, these are the event venues themselves, and will be open only to people who have a ticket to that event, or accredited people such as Games officials or journalists. Security will be tight and bags will be searched on arrival, as is standard at major sporting events in France.

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