Theft of security plans for the Paris Olympics
On Monday evening, a bag containing a computer and two special memory sticks containing security plans for the Paris Olympics scheduled for next summer was stolen from a train at the Gare du Nord station in the French capital, according to what police sources reported.
The police said that the bag belonged to an engineer from the Paris City Council, confirming the accuracy of a report published by BFM TV, adding that the bag was placed in the luggage compartment above the engineer’s seat.
Because his train was late, the engineer decided to change the train, and then he discovered the theft.
The engineer said that his computer and two USB memory sticks contained sensitive data. Especially the municipal police’s plans to ensure the safety of the Olympic Games.
The regional transport police are investigating the incident.
The Paris City Council did not comment on the incident when contacted by Agence France-Presse.
Two thousand municipal police will be deployed during the games, and it is expected that about 35,000 security forces will be on duty daily during this major sporting event, which begins on July 26.
The French authorities face enormous security challenges, perhaps the most prominent of which is the opening ceremony, which will be held on boats on the Seine River on July 26.
The French government announced at the end of last month that it had reduced the number of spectators at the opening ceremony, which was being held for the first time outside the main athletics stadium.
After months of speculation about the size of the crowds allowed to watch the opening ceremony, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 on January 31 that about 300,000 spectators would attend.
Darmanin had previously indicated that the number was approximately 600,000 when he spoke in the Senate in October 2022, while other members of the government and organizers spoke of 400 to 500,000.
Some senior figures in the security forces opposed the idea of holding the ceremony outdoors, due to the difficulty of managing such large crowds and the risk of terrorist attacks.
Local authorities also faced difficulties in convincing traditional booksellers lining the river to temporarily remove their stalls, in order to make space for spectators.
Darmanin added that 100,000 tickets have been sold for the best distinctive places for the opening ceremony on the lower banks of the Seine River, while another 200,000 tickets will be given free access to the upper banks of the river.
He stressed that the specific number does not include people “who are residents and will be able to rent places to hold parties along the Seine River,” referring to the hundreds of buildings overlooking the famous waterway.
France was on high alert in anticipation of terrorist attacks from last October to January 15, after a suspect stormed a school in northern France and stabbed a teacher to death.
“The threat of terrorism is very strong,” Darmanin said.
2024-02-28 17:01:54
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