France’s armed forces are gearing up to station 15,000 soldiers to secure the upcoming Paris Olympics, slated for July 26 to August 11, 2024, General Christophe Abad, the military governor of Paris and an advisor to the city’s police chief.
General Abad disclosed on Thursday that about 10,000 military personnel would be deployed around Paris, particularly at critical Olympic venues.
This military deployment will also extend approximately 10,000 miles to Tahiti, where naval ships will be positioned to protect the Olympic surfing events.
In an effort to bolster security in the capital, a provisional military camp capable of housing 5,000 troops will be set up in a park to the southeast of Paris, situating the force close to the Olympic locations.
This extensive security operation, unprecedented in France’s history, will also involve thousands of police and private security agents.
Recent legal changes have authorized the temporary implementation of cameras equipped with AI software to detect potential security risks during the Olympics. This move has sparked debates among those who worry about lasting impacts on privacy and civil liberties.
Despite the law’s clear ban on using facial recognition technology to track “suspicious” individuals, as reported by the BBC, concerns persist.
“We are not emulating China; our goal isn’t to create a Big Brother scenario,” stated François Mattens, head of a Paris-based AI firm competing for a share of the Olympic video surveillance contract.
However, critics argue this prohibition could lead to more intrusive surveillance practices. The law’s trial phase is set to last until March 2025, but there’s concern that the French government might permanently adopt these security measures.
Digital rights advocate Noémie Levain echoed this sentiment to the BBC, stating, “AI video surveillance is a tool for state control, analyzing our physical movements and behaviors, determining what’s normal or suspicious. Even without facial recognition, it facilitates mass surveillance.”
She added, “This is as alarming as the situation in China, eroding the right to anonymity, the freedom to behave in public, and the right not to be monitored.”
Additionally, the French military plans to deploy Reaper surveillance drones, AWACS airspace monitoring aircraft, fighter jets, air refueling planes, and helicopters equipped with sharpshooters and anti-drone technology.
General Abad explained that the 15,000-strong military force will include 7,000 soldiers already engaged in anti-terrorism patrols at key sites like transportation hubs and religious places.
The military is also prepared to provide extra troops if the Paris Games organizers encounter difficulties in hiring enough private security personnel.
To ensure optimal preparedness for the Olympics, military training exercises have been conducted, focusing on managing various crisis scenarios, including terrorist threats, airplane crashes, drone assaults, extreme heat waves, and chemical accidents, as reported by General Abad.
