In colorful ski outfits, adorned with wigs and red noses, some skiing on tarmac, nearly 250 demonstrators gathered on Saturday in three points in the Alps to protest against the possible organization of the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. In Chambéry, there were around a hundred in a fair atmosphere, gathered in a park not far from the headquarters of the Savoie departmental Olympic and sports committee, observed an AFP journalist.
“The green Olympics are a hoot”
Activists from different associations (Extinction Rebellion, Attac, the Uprisings of the Earth) or simple citizens, were united at the call of the No-JO collective. On the program, ski and Bobsleigh race on tarmac with presentation of “medals” to the regional presidents Laurent Wauquiez (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes), Renaud Muselier (Provence Alpes Côte-d’Azur) and to the president of the French National Olympic Sports Committee David Lappartient to reward their “authoritarianism”, their “dishonesty” and their “corruption” respectively.
Particularly denounced, the fact that an association signatory of an appeal against the holding of the 2030 Olympic Games in France would have lost the subsidies granted by the Aura Region last December. A cut that the region, contacted by AFP at the time, had denied by affirming that nothing was voted on. “The eco-friendly Olympics are a joke”, “Everything towards the economic and ecological disaster”, “Alpine skiing or water skiing?” could we read on the posters. “2030 Olympic Games: Referendum!” claimed another.
In Grenoble, around forty people positioned themselves near a roundabout on the national road leading towards the ski resorts, wearing colorful alpine sports outfits to raise awareness among tourists, explained a representative contacted by AFP who wished to remain anonymous. In the Hautes-Alpes, around a hundred activists, also dressed in colorful outfits, took advantage of the traffic jams at the roundabout of one of the A51 exits, to interact with motorists in a “festive” climate, according to Stéphane Passeron, member of the No JO collective, contacted by AFP.
The French Alps’ bid offered by the PACA and Aura regions for the 2030 Winter Games was the only one accepted by the IOC on November 29, before a final decision in June. Since then, elected officials and associations have pointed out the ecological and economic risks represented by this global event. Some are calling for sustainable Games to develop transport, particularly rail, in the Alps.