DPA
Paris
France’s acting interior minister has struck a reassuring tone less than a week before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris.
The risk of terrorism at the Games has worried security experts for months given France’s recent history and the plan to hold Friday’s opening ceremony down the Seine with vast crowds.
But Gerald Darmanin played down fears in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper on
Sunday.
“As far as we know, there is no specific threat to the security of the Olympic Games,” he said, adding that intelligence services have not identified any imminent danger.
The opening ceremony is due to take place on the Seine as planned despite a plan B being drawn up in case of threats.
Organizers also expressed their confidence in the security concept ahead of the July 26-August 11 Games.
“There is a special plan for the opening ceremony and every competition to guarantee security,” Paris 2024 head Tony Estanguet told a news conference, adding that keeping people safe was “priority number 1.”
The police and military have massively increased their presence in Paris ahead of the Olympics. France declared the highest terror alert level in March. At the end of May, investigators foiled plans for a terrorist attack on a football match during the Games.
