32 “protest” actions prevented from passing the Olympic flame since its arrival in France according to Gérald Darmanin

The Olympic flame under close surveillance throughout its journey. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Started on May 8, the Olympic torch relay will cross all of France until the day of the opening ceremony, Friday July 26. Since his arrival in Marseille, 32 protest actions have been foiled, explained this Tuesday, May 14, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin.

Thirty-two actions of "protest" of the Olympic torch relay have been foiled since its arrival on May 8 in France, Gérald Darmanin said on Tuesday, specifying that "two attempts" from entering "contact" of the flame had also been prevented.

"This is not about attacks or criminal acts, but about protest for various reasons&quot ;, added the Minister of the Interior, during a press briefing at Place Beauvau. The &quot ;territorial intelligence were able to intervene to prevent the display of banners for example", he detailed, without giving the number of arrests linked to these protests.

"Two attempts to make contact with the flame" were also "dismissed by the police"over the last two days, the minister said. Three drones were also "intercepted" and "four remote pilots arrested" since the start of the relay in Marseille last Wednesday, continued Mr. Darmanin.

1,193 people excluded

He also drew up a new assessment of the administrative screening investigations carried out by the authorities on the people who will intervene in the Games. To date, 331,000 administrative investigations have been carried out (out of a total million to be achieved, Editor's note) and 1,193 people were excluded, indicated the minister.

Among them, 30 S files, including 13 linked to the ultra-left, 5 to the ultra-right, 5 to radical Islamism and 7 for foreign interference, a -he explained. Moreover, "more than a hundred people", often "volunteers", were put aside because of '"criminal records&quot ;, he said again.

Of the 11,000 Olympic flame torchbearers, 31 were excluded. Concerning the platform opened on Monday to obtain a digital pass to access certain areas in Paris during the Olympics (26 July-August 11), "more than 17,000 people have already requested their QR code, including 3,000 for vehicles", indicated the minister .