France has scaled down the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony which will take place in July on the River Seine, amid concerns over a theoretical Islamist terror attack, reports Politico.
Boats carrying each nation’s flag-bearers will pass on the water in the heart of Paris, with 104,000 spectators enjoying the celebration on the waterfront and 222,000 others watching from bridges and streets, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday during a Parliament hearing.
That’s roughly half the number of spectators initially floated by Darmanin, who had discussed in October 2022 the possibility of welcoming 600,000 people for the official launch of the Summer Games.
A senior official at the interior ministry, who was granted anonymity to disclose sensitive information, said French president Emmanuel Macron demanded the capacity reduction, prompted by crowd-control and security worries as the opening ceremony takes place in a public space rather than stadium for the first time ever.