The French authorities checked more than a million people in the run-up to the Olympic Games – 4,350 people were excluded. According to Interior Minister Darmanin, there were apparently no connections to attack plans.
Ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, which begin this week, the French authorities have denied thousands of people access to the games for security reasons. More than a million applications have been examined and 4,350 of them rejected, said acting French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on France 2.
The number of checks corresponds to the target set a year ago, he added. All those who are involved in any way in the Olympic Games this summer were checked – for example athletes, coaches, journalists, volunteers, employees of private security services or local residents and their guests.
Probably no connections to Attack plans
The interior minister told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that some applications had been rejected because of links to radical Islamists, others because of suspicion of foreign espionage or concerns about cyber attacks. It is unlikely that these were people with plans to carry out attacks. In addition to intelligence espionage, however, there is a risk that a cyber attack could be carried out via access to computer networks, Darmanin told the newspaper.
The rejected applications included people from Russia, Belarus and other countries who wanted to be accredited as journalists or technical staff. “We are applying the precautionary principle,” the minister stressed.
“No known security threat”
Overall, Darmanin believes that the major sporting event is well secured. “As far as we know, there is no known threat to the security of the Olympic Games,” said the minister. The opening ceremony could also take place on the Seine as planned. However, one must remain humble and focused, said Darmanin.
The organizers also expressed their confidence in the security concept shortly before the start of the Olympic Games on July 26. “There is a special plan to guarantee security at the opening ceremony and every competition,” said organizing chief Tony Estanguet at a press conference. He could guarantee that security was the “number one priority.”
45,000 Security forces to Opening ceremony
Before the Olympic Games, the police and military have massively increased their presence in Paris. 45,000 security forces will be deployed for the opening of the Games alone. The organizers have reduced the original number of spectators at the ceremony from 600,000 to around 300,000.
France had declared the highest terror alert level in March and maintained it for the summer. At the end of May, investigators foiled plans for an Islamist terrorist attack on a football match during the Olympic Games.
