Paris Olympics D-10... "68% of French People Concerned About Safety"

Concerns Over Pickpocketing and Bomb Terror at Opening Ceremony

With the Paris Olympics just ten days away, more than six out of ten French people have expressed concerns about safety issues.

According to a survey by polling firm Odoxa, released on the 16th (local time) by the French daily Le Figaro, 68% of French respondents said they were worried about safety in tourist areas and public transportation. Additionally, 65% of respondents were concerned about visiting fan zones, where around 50,000 people are expected to gather.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Fan zones are spaces set up for people who do not attend the Olympic venues. Visitors can watch the Olympic games together and enjoy various side events. Furthermore, 58% and 53% of respondents expressed concerns about safety accidents at the stadium entrances and inside the stadiums, respectively.

By type of crime, pickpocketing (92%) and snatching (88%) were identified as the biggest risks. Sixty percent of respondents also worried about luggage theft at hotels and exposure to sexual crimes.

There are also significant safety concerns regarding the Olympic opening ceremony to be held on the Seine River on the 26th. The idea of a water-based opening ceremony on the Seine, which 61% of respondents supported in March last year, saw support plummet to 50% in January this year due to fears of terrorism. Now, two weeks before the opening ceremony, only 49% of French people support the Seine opening ceremony. In particular, there is heightened awareness of suicide bombings targeting the public (40%) and military unrest (30%).

As caution about the safety of the Seine opening ceremony spreads, the French government has significantly reduced the number of spectators. The originally planned audience size of around 600,000 has been cut to 320,000. Additionally, 45,000 police officers and military police will be deployed around the Seine, where the athletes will march, and in the city center. Measures will also be taken to defend against drone attacks. From 7 p.m., before the ceremony begins, until the event ends, the airspace within a 150 km radius over Paris airports and the city center will be closed.