Politics, security and the Seine: where the Paris Olympics’ flashpoints will be

By Keith Rathbone, Macquarie University

Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games.

On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a group of men.

On Monday, two employees of Channel 9 were attacked during an attempted robbery.

In response, the Australian Olympic Committee has advised athletes not to travel solo or to wear their team uniform outside of the Olympic village.

The French government has prepared for a rise in crime during the games but security services have focused their energies on safeguarding events from possible terrorist attacks.

At the same time, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is especially mindful of the way sporting events raise the prospect of terrorism, they are also wary of how sport can provide avenues for international rivalry and individual political protest.

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So as the games prepare to officially launch, what’s happening in Paris?

Security

The Paris Olympics have already kicked off with rugby sevens and soccer but even that didn’t go smoothly, with a fan invasion marring the Argentina-Morocco soccer clash.

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With the opening ceremony less than 24 hours away, the French capital is under its strongest-ever security regime.

The French government, wary of another attack on a sporting event like the bombing outside of the Stade de France in 2015, have restricted access around the Seine River.

Residents and workers have to get a Games Pass QR code or an Olympic accreditation to enter the area. Many residents and tourists have been locked out of the capital’s most well-heeled neighbourhoods.

The organisers’ caution might be well-founded. Israeli athletes have already received death threats on social media: “arrive in France, we’ll kill you.”

They have also been threatened with a reenactment of the Munich 1972 games, when Black September terrorists killed 11 Israeli sportsmen.

As a result, Israeli athletes in Paris will get 24-hour security from French and Israeli officials.

Read Full Story https://theconversation.com/politics-security-and-the-seine-where-the-paris-olympics-flashpoints-will-be-235200