MACRON REVEALS PLAB B IF SECURITY RISK TOO HIGH FOR PARIS OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SEINE

Construction is underway at the Trocadéro gardens, ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony which will be held on the Seine. Sunday, April 14, 2024 in Paris. AURELIEN MORISSARD / AP

 French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, April 15, the Paris Olympics opening ceremony could move from the river Seine to a different site in the event of a security threat. Macron said in an interview with BFMTV and RMC that instead of teams sailing down the Seine on barges, the ceremony could be "limited to the Trocadéro," across the river from the Eiffel Tower, or "even moved to the Stade de France."

The Paris organizers have devised a ceremony that is unprecedented in Olympic history as it breaks from the tradition of opening the Games in the main stadium. However, despite war raging in Ukraine and in Gaza, organizers have so far denied the ceremony on July 26 could be moved to a different venue if it is targeted.

"This opening ceremony... is a world first. We can do it and we are going to do it," Macron said. But, he added, "there are Plan Bs and Plan Cs", including moving the ceremony to the Stade de France to the north of Paris. "We will analyze this in real time," Macron added.

He also said he would do "everything possible" to have an Olympic truce during the Games. The truce is a historic tradition that peace reigns during the Olympics. "We want to work towards an Olympic truce and I think it is an occasion for me to engage with a lot of our partners," he said.

First Olympic opening outside a stadium

The July 26 event is set to be the first Olympic opening ceremony held outside a stadium setting. About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer route.

To limit security risks, Macron said organizers could decide to shorten the itinerary of the parade on the Seine, and even to "repatriate the ceremony to the Stade de France" for a more conventional opening event.

Organizers had originally planned a grandiose opening ceremony for as many as 600,000 people, most watching free of charge from riverbanks. But security and logistical concerns have led the government to progressively scale back its ambitions. Earlier this year, the overall number of spectators was reduced to around 300,000.

The French government also decided that tourists won't be given free access to watch the opening ceremony because of security concerns. Free access will be invitation-only instead.

-  Le Monde with AP, AFP