A truly unique event
The numbers speak for themselves. The Olympic Games are a mega international event. This summer, more than 13 million spectators are set to throng Paris and the many other cities hosting the events, as far afield as French Polynesia.
Paris 2024 means more than 10,500 athletes from 206 nations, 40 competition venues to be protected at once, 6,000 journalists from all over the world and almost 4 billion televiewers. The Opening Ceremony on 26 July is a challenge in itself, as it is expected to draw 200 heads of state and roughly 500,000 spectators.
This year's competitions will no longer be confined to stadia, but will also be staged at a number of iconic sites: the Place de la Concorde, the Champ de Mars, the Grand Palais, the Château de Versailles... For this fiesta to go down as a roaring success, security must be top-notch. The Ministry of the Interior and Overseas France is already fully mobilised.
Protection is our priority
Some 30,000 police and gendarmerie officers will be on hand every day to protect athletes and spectators, particularly in the Île-de-France region where most of the events will be held. If necessary, reserve forces from the police and gendarmerie academies (7,000-strong) and the reservists (8,500-strong) will also be able to provide back-up. Armed forces troops, municipal police officers and 25,000 private security guards will complete the overall security arrangements.
An unprecedented Opening Ceremony
For the first time, the Opening Ceremony will not be held in a closed stadium, but along the banks of the Seine, 6 kilometres between the bridges of Austerlitz and Jena. Several thousand spectators are expected at the top and bottom of the quays.
In order to secure this momentous occasion, the National Police and National Gendarmerie are deploying massive contingents, namely: 45,000 police and gendarmerie officers present throughout the entire route.
Coordinating security for the Games
The Ministry of the Interior and Overseas France is responsible for coordinating security for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games at national level. Established for this purpose, the national coordinating body for the security of the 2024 Olympic Games (CNSJ) liaises between the ministry's directorates and departments responsible for the smooth staging of high-profile sporting events. In conjunction with the prefectures concerned, it plans the safety and security measures and ensures their implementation.
In addition, a National Strategic Command Centre (CNCS) has been set up. Already deployed for the Rugby World Cup between September and October 2023, this temporary structure will be operational once again from May for the Olympic Torch Relay and throughout the Games. The role of the CNCS is to analyse, summarise and pass on security-related information for the Games, liaising directly with public partners and competition organisers.