PARIS, AUG 12: The vaulting ambition of the Paris Olympics made them risky and hard to police, but French security forces kept thousands of athletes and millions of fans safe -- a "gold medal" performance according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
The two-week sporting extravaganza which finished on Sunday led to a security operation like no other in recent French history, with the mobilisation of around 75,000 police, soldiers and private security guards on the opening night on July 26.
There were incidents over the last fortnight an attack on the French railways, a pitch invader at the 100m men's final but nothing that marred the event overall to the widespread relief of organisers.
"These Olympic Games involve both great French medals and a great gold medal for the ministry of the interior and the security forces," Darmanin said last week as he visited officers on duty in Marseille in southern France.
The sense of satisfaction and self-congratulatory tone of his remarks reflected the immense pressure and doubts raised in the run-up to the Games over whether France's already stretched resources would be up to the task. Then came unexpected parliamentary elections in July, followed by the unprecedented opening ceremony along a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the River Seine which had been giving planners sleepless nights since it was unveiled in 2021. —AFP
