The Paris Olympic Games in 2024 have sparked controversy among the booksellers along the river Seine. Local authorities have ordered them to remove their stalls for the opening ceremony of the Games due to security concerns. This decision has led to the potential loss of around 60% of the famous riverside booksellers, approximately 570 stalls in total.
Jerome Callais, the president of the Paris booksellers association, expressed his disappointment, stating that people visit the bookstalls as they visit iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Callais believes that hiding the booksellers during a ceremony that represents Paris is a threat to the cultural symbol they embody.
Paris police explained that the stalls fall within the security perimeter for the opening ceremony and therefore need to be removed for obvious security reasons. The opening ceremony is expected to attract at least 600,000 people along the Seine, as it will be the first time the public has free access to this event outside of a stadium. To ensure security, the French government plans to deploy 35,000 security agents and military personnel.
Albert Abid, one of the booksellers affected by this decision, feels excluded from the celebrations. He worries that his 100-year-old wooden stall will be damaged during the removal process. Abid emphasized the fragility of their stalls and expressed concern about the impact on the morale of the booksellers.
The Paris authorities claim to have met with the booksellers, offering to cover the costs of removing the stalls and any necessary repairs. They argued that this process would contribute to the Games’ heritage and support their application to have Seine booksellers recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. However, it remains unclear whether the booksellers must be relocated for the entire duration of the Games or solely for the opening ceremony. The city has proposed a temporary “bookseller village” in a literary neighborhood near the Seine as an alternative location, specifically designed for the Games. Nevertheless, Callais dismissed the proposed solution, stating that it would not attract customers.
In summary, the decision to remove the bookstalls along the Seine for the 2024 Olympics in Paris has caused concern among booksellers. While authorities claim to offer support and view the removal as a renovation opportunity, the booksellers feel excluded from the celebrations. The proposed alternative location has been criticized as impractical, and no satisfactory compensation has been proposed.
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