While for some, the Olympic Games are above all the prospect of a great sporting celebration, others are particularly worried about the influx of visitors to the capital.
Barely one in two French people say they are confident in France’s ability to ensure the safety of people near the Olympic Games events which begin on July 26, according to a YouGov Surveys study conducted in June 2024 among 1,049 adults representative of the French population. Theft, damage, crowd movements, violence are all subjects of concern for them.
For some, the subject has become a real cause for anxiety. This is the case for Noémie, 32, who speaks of a fear of congestion on public transport and the consequences for travellers: “I’m really worried about the idea of jostlingulades in the metro or RER trains and on the platforms. I also dread the discomforts which can occur because there are too many people and it is hot that the falls on the tracks. I’m afraid of being jostled, of being pushed, of falling…” explains the young woman, specifying that these fears led her to take the decision to take her leave during the Games so as not to be forced to take the RER to make her usual journey between Versailles and Paris: “The anxiety started to build up in March-April and it was so great that I arranged for my holidays to fall at that time. I didn’t want to ruin my nights of sleep or take any risks.”
“It doesn’t take much for people to get carried away and things to flare up.”
For his part, Farid, 40, remembers the incidents that took place around the Stade de France on the sidelines of the Real Madrid and Liverpool match in 2022. Thus, he fears the violence committed by the supporters: “I am very worried about some kind of chaos related to the influx of spectators. Really, I am afraid that the party will turn into real chaos because of people who could not access the tests or who had a little too much to drink. It does not take much for people to get carried away and for things to flare up.” He regrets not having been able to take this vacation during the Olympic period: “For now, even though I have a little butterflies in my stomach thinking about it, I don’t think I’ll change my daily itinerary. But depending on how things go, I might ask to work from home or I’ll take my car to the office.”
“The whole world will have its eyes turned towards France even though the population is torn apart”
When we talk about the Olympic Games with Claire, 26, she thinks, for her part, about the risk of an attack: “This would be the “perfect” moment to reach as many people as possible and I don’t see how we can secure everything to avoid this kind of catastrophe. It makes my blood run cold. Imagine an explosion in the crowded subway? A attack like the Bataclan attack in a stadium? That’s a nightmare idea.” She also fears, given the political context, violent demonstrations and excesses. “The whole world will be watching France as the population is torn apart. It looks like an ideal time for anger to turn into riots.” She continues: “I’ve done some research on security and even though I don’t know anything about it, I find it insufficient – but maybe, given my anxiety, everything would seem insufficient to me.” In any case, Claire is determined to avoid the Paris region at the end of July/beginning of August: “I will be on holiday in the heart of Normandy, relieved to be far from the crowds.”
For Julia, 45, the influx of people into Paris at the end of July means above all the risk of a major resurgence of the Covid epidemic. “I developed long Covid in 2020 following an infection with the virus. This makes me particularly sensitive to the subject, especially since I remain handicapped by various associated pathologies. So, the large mixing of populations and what’s more at a time when the infection figures are on the rise really makes me fear a new very significant wave. Even if I take all the precautions, I am very anxious the idea of being contaminated again and that it affects my remission already far too long. Being weakened by illness again would be catastrophic for me. I’m afraid for others too : few people now care about the virus and pay attention.”
Noting that she will remain masked in all closed and crowded public places and that she will avoid the center of Paris, Julia also explains that she fears that her rare trips will become a real ordeal: “The president of the region said something like ‘we must not be afraid to walk’ to explain that Parisians will sometimes have to get off two or three stops before theirs and that they will have to prioritize walking. But for me, who suffers from chronic fatigue and post-exercise malaise, it is simply impossible. It is already a huge challenge to take the metro, but if I have to walk more, I risk exceeding my physical limits and exhausting myself. I am not going to ask other travelers to carry me if I can no longer stand on my legs! Not being able to use public transport means for me not being able to go to work – I am on therapeutic part-time work, and not being able to go to my physiotherapy sessions. I really feel that The organization of these Games leaves out disabled peoplesick and elderly.” Although nothing has been decided yet, Julia has expressed her wish to leave the capital for a fortnight, if not more, in order to avoid both contamination and difficult journeys.