Paris 2024 Olympic Games: “They just have to throw peanuts at us”, “The feeling of being locked in”… Parisians annoyed by the preparations

He, who lives next door, in the 5th arrondissement, philosophizes: “We have to do something about the Olympics, it's once every 100 years”. “It's going to be well done, it's going to be pretty”, the 56-year-old wants to believe.

“People who grumble”

 “I'm not one of those people who grumbles all the time”, adds Katia, who also lives in the 5th arrondissement and often crosses the Île Saint-Louis.

On the other side of the Seine, on the Quai de la Tournelle, the stands for the opening ceremony on July 26 have already been installed. The organizers promise a river show on the Seine where “the city will become the living backdrop for an exceptional moment”, over 6 km. From Thursday, security perimeters will be activated and Île Saint-Louis will be made inaccessible without presentation of a "Games Pass" with QR code.

If some local residents have obtained their pass, Aissa Yago claims not to have received it despite a request. Simon, a merchant on the island, 'understands' security measures. "But eight days without possible access to tourists walking around, I find that it's a bit hard".

Instead of the "party" promised, regrets the young man, "all we see for the moment is a loss of figures of' business". To explain this low tourist attendance, he also specifies that "Île Saint-Louis, it works in the sun& quot;, who has been discreet since the start of the summer. Ramsey Opp, New Yorker, has just arrived in Paris and discovers the preparations while walking on the island.

"I live in New York where it's much louder, busier, and messier and there is more construction & quot;, says the 30-year-old young man.

"A disaster"

 But for many residents and merchants of Île Saint-Louis, a historic and chic district of the capital, the cup is full. "The whole month of July, we didn't work, it's a disaster", comments a café manager, in front of his empty bar.

"The people on the island said "we're leaving because we don't want to not be there for the Games", specifies the shopkeeper, affirming that there are "very few tourists". Friday, the deputy for commerce at Paris town hall, Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj, said "hearing the anger" traders in the heart of the capital, who have seen some of the 44,000 barriers pop up in recent days to secure the Olympics. Bertrand Halff, 83, would leave the island "immediately" if he could, the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) are fast approaching.

"I have a disabled daughter, we have to stay for her." Marie- Christine Goux, resident of the 15th arrondissement, likes to come and sit on a bench and watch the Seine. This morning, he is inaccessible. "I had a friend who lived there, a homeless man, he disappeared", she said.

For months, associations have been warning about "social cleansing" in the capital and the expulsions of homeless people outside Paris. "We continue to carry out operations to shelter people who are on the street", regional prefect Marc Guillaume defended himself on France Bleu on Monday . "I don'they did with it", worries Ms. Goux.