Contents
The Olympic Games are almost here – with several venues in the middle of Paris. But there is still little sense of anticipation in the city.
The Olympic beach volleyball tournament will take place this summer on the Marsfield in Paris, not far from the Eiffel Tower – the facility has been under construction since March. The stands are up, the park is surrounded by barriers.
The city wrote to me that the lease would be terminated in April of this year. I was shocked.
In the middle of the barriers is Julien Sommer’s puppet theater, which is popular in the district. At the beginning of this year, Sommer received notice from the city of Paris – because of the Olympic Games: “The city wrote to me that the lease would be terminated in April of this year. I was shocked.” Sommer sought conversation and started an online petition for his theater.
Macron himself intervenes
“Thanks to the support of the audience and the entertainment industry, the city finally took pity and allowed me to do performances until the end of May,” Sommer continues. The city also promised to let the contract continue from autumn. Julien Sommer is relieved, but has to survive without income for four months.
Legend:
President Emmanuel Macron personally campaigned for the right of Parisian bookstores to remain on the banks of the Seine.
SRF/Mirjam Mathis
Drastic measures were also taken at the bouquinistas along the Seine: hundreds of the book boxes were to be dismantled because of the opening ceremony along the Seine. The indignation was great. It was Emmanuel Macron himself who ultimately reversed the prefecture’s decision. “We have not forgotten the seven sleepless months of tension and worry,” says Jérôme Callais, president of the Bouquinist Association. No constructive dialogue was possible with the city. But now we are happy that the book boxes are allowed to stay.
Homeless people must stay away
Hundreds of homeless people are not allowed to stay in the city center. They are sent away by the authorities. Non-governmental organizations denounce the action. “You can see fences and large stones under the bridge that were installed to prevent people from returning under the bridge. At the same time, the emergency sleeping places in Paris are full,” says Antoine de Clerck, from the association “The Other Side of the Coin.”
Legend:
So that the “Clochards” cannot pitch their tents under the bridges, huge boulders of rock were erected.
SRF/Mirjam Mathis
The responsible authority defends itself against the accusation of an anti-social eviction operation: “We will set up security zones for the Olympic Games into which you can only enter with tickets,” says Prefect Christophe Noël dü Payrat. The homeless cannot be left in these sectors; it is a question of dignity, but also of safety.
A gigantic project becomes visible and tangible
Those affected are offered accommodation in an emergency shelter in other cities in France, such as Orléans, Angers or Nice. But many don’t want to leave Paris: “We have a few people who are willing to go to the provinces, but even they often come back to Paris after a few weeks,” says Clerck.
The closer the Olympic Games get, the more restrictions become visible and noticeable. And it is becoming increasingly clear what a gigantic undertaking the organization of the Olympic Games in the middle of the city of Paris is.