On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron disclosed in a television interview that the opening ceremonies for this summer’s Olympic Games could be moved if security considerations required it.
With 100 days before the start of the event, the French leader admitted that “if we think there are risks, depending on our analysis of the context, we have fallback scenarios,” and the government has “plans B and C, and we are preparing them in parallel.”
The disclosure comes as Macron initiated a scaling back of the inaugural event in March, in the wake of reports that Al Qaeda or the Islamic State may be planning to commit terrorist attacks during the festivities.
Originally, planners envisioned an event with as many as 600,000 spectators watching the various national teams take part in a four-mile boat parade to the Olympic Stadium. After a review by the French Interior Ministry, the arrangement was changed to allow for no more than 326,000 participants, with only 104,000 permitted near the waterway.
In addition to the limitations on crowd sizes, officials have stated that 30,000 police officers will be on duty for the events, and the country’s military will be prepared to assist in an emergency.
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