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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

France excludes 800 individuals from Olympics over security fears

Around 800 people who "did not have good intentions" have been excluded from the Paris Olympics over security fears, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said Sunday.

Published: 1 April 2024 08:55 CEST
France excludes 800 individuals from Olympics over security fears
The Paris 2024 Olympics Games flag next to European Union and French flag at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

The list includes 15 deemed to represent the most serious threat to national security.

“The French people must know that we absolutely check everyone who approaches the Olympic Games — so there are the volunteers, torch bearers, the people who will welcome you,” Darmanin told broadcaster LCI.

“There are a million checks to be done; we have already carried out 180,000 checks. We have excluded 800 people including 15 on ‘Fiches S’ (the dossier of the most serious threats).”

“That means that there are people who wanted to register to carry the flame, to be volunteers at the Olympic Games and who clearly did not have good intentions.”

Darmanin specified that among those excluded were “radical Islamists” and “radical ecology people who want to protest”. French security forces are screening up to a million people before the Olympics, including athletes and people living close to key infrastructure, according to the interior ministry.

Ahead of the start on July 26, all 10,500 athletes selected for the Olympics and 4,400 for the Paralympics will be subjected to background checks, as will their coaches and medical staff, in addition to 26,000 accredited journalists.

The Olympics are set to take place from July 26th-August 11th followed by the Paralympics from August 28th-September 8th.

France was placed on its highest alert for terror attacks in October after a suspected Islamist burst into a school in the north of the country and stabbed a teacher to death. The country has been consistently targeted by Islamic extremists over the last decade, particularly by the Islamic State group, while Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza is seen as exacerbating domestic tensions.

READ ALSO: France’s allies t help with Olympics security

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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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