PARIS — Paris’ large boulevards, majestic monuments and crowded cafés got an unsightly addition this week: more than 44,000 ugly metal barriers blocking access to everything from the Louvre to ˆÎle-Saint-Louis.
The temporary walls were put in place as part of the massive security preparations ahead of the Paris Olympics, which formally kick off on Friday.
Authorities, mindful of their country’s painful recent history of terror attacks, have gone to great lengths to protect the millions of tourists and athletes descending on the French capital for the Summer Games.
Not everyone is excited. With major metro stations closed and entire lanes of traffic blocked off exclusively for Olympic use, the games are going to upend the lives of locals for weeks.
Restrictions will be most stringent ahead of Friday’s Opening Ceremony, the first boat parade on the Seine since the the wedding party of Louis XV’s daughter three centuries ago. More than 300,000 people are attending what is expected to be a stunning spectacle — and also a security nightmare.
“It is the biggest security challenge any country has ever had to organize in a time of peace,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters on Tuesday.
Ahead of the ceremony, most of the bridges connecting the two sides of the Seine were closed. Authorities have also restricted the access to Paris’ iconic city center. They’ve locked down a large area close to the river that includes the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, and it can only be accessed by showing a special QR code granted to residents, people who work there or people who made bookings to access museums and restaurants in advance. The Interior Ministry said it received more than 200,000 requests for “Pass Jeux” codes via its website.
Paris is crawling with security officials too. Some 30,000 police officers and gendarmerie will be deployed to the city every day of the Olympics. On the day of the Opening Ceremony, 45,000 will be working the streets of Paris alongside 10,000 troops from the military.
While the French government went to great lengths to let locals know about the closures ahead of time, Parisians — who would probably take gold if complaining was an Olympic sport — are angry that their daily commutes have been upended.
“It has become impossible to get about in the city center,” a man named Rodolphe said from his electric bike as he dodged foot traffic on the sidewalk alongside the famous Rue de Rivoli, just next to barriers blocking off its empty bike lane
Antoine, another visibly irritated cyclist, said he was at a loss for words after failing to convince police officers to let him pass a checkpoint. He said the QR code he had brandished was not the right one to cross the Seine.
Shops and restaurants say the Olympic games and the controversial metal barriers are costing them money too.
“Paris is empty,” the manager of a bookshop close to the Palais Royal said.
The UMIH, an organization representing hotel and restaurants, said restaurants and cafés in restricted areas are losing up to 60 percent of their turnover. French authorities promised to compensate some of those losses. But compensation requests will be only examined later by a dedicated commission.
Abdelkaber, a taxi driver stationing a few meters away from the gray zone, said he lost more than a half of his usual revenue. “It is unbearable, we feel like prisoners,” he said, adding that he regularly has to turn down taxi rides requested by tourists who are in the restricted area. “Everything has been very badly organized,” he said speaking through the window of his black taxi.
For tourists, it’s a different story.
Dan, Amy and their daughter Kloe traveled from Sacramento, California, to visit Paris during the Olympic games. Despite having been denied access to the gray zone as they didn’t know they needed a QR code, the smiling family sees the glass half-full.
“We are not disappointed, it is a great experience and we are impressed by how nice people are. You have to be ready for some inconvenience, it’s a given for an event like this,” said Kloe. “And the food is really great!”
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