The French government announced on Tuesday (20 August) that it will deploy up to 25,000 police and gendarmes for the two weeks of the Paralympic Games in Paris, which begin in the French capital on 28 August and end on 8 September.

Gérald Darmanin, France’s acting interior minister, made the announcement at a press conference, where he added that the security forces’ elite units and anti-terrorist groups will also be on standby to respond to possible emergencies. Police and security from other countries, such as Chile, Finland, Qatar and Spain, will also be deployed.

For the opening ceremony, 15,000 officers are expected to be deployed and, as was the case at the Olympic Games, delegations that may be at greater risk, such as Israel, will be protected 24 hours a day. Darmanin stressed that there is no ‘clear threat’. The final stages of the Paralympic flame will also offer special vigilance. Tony Estanguet, President of the Games, welcomed the fact that the same arrangements will be in place for the Paralympic Games.

The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games will take place in the historic Place de la Concorde. ‘There will be 35,000 spectators, 5,000 athletes and 170 delegations, with 15,000 seats open to the public at the foot of the Champs Elysées,’ explained Darmanin. As it is an open-air ceremony, there will be a heavy security presence on the day and traffic in the capital will be restricted. This is a considerable challenge, given that ‘Operation Homecoming’ begins this week and schools in France start their academic year on Monday 2 September.