A string of protests and abnormal heat threaten the continuation of the Paris Olympics, the most anticipated sporting event of 2024.
Protests against Israel
A group of anti-Semitic protesters chanted “Heil Hitler” at the Israeli men’s football team, which was due to face Paraguay at the Paris Olympics last weekend.
The group unabashedly made their presence known from the stands, chanting hate speech and booing the Israeli team during the national anthem at the Parc de Prins stadium on Saturday night.
Flocks of protesters were seen waving Palestinian flags and some even performed a Nazi salute during their disgusting display of hate. Several also held a large banner reading “Genocide Olympics.”
The anti-Israel demonstrators were eventually ejected from the stadium, and no other disturbances were reported. A Paris Olympic organiser told Sky News:
“During the men’s football match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes on 27 July, a banner bearing a political message was displayed, and anti-Semitic gestures were made. Paris 2024 strongly condemns these acts. A complaint has been lodged by Paris 2024, which is at the disposal of the authorities to assist with the investigation.”
This marks the second time since the start of the Olympics that an Israeli football club has faced protesters during its match.
The team was met with the same display of hatred during its match against Mali last Wednesday. Demonstrators during Israel’s match against Mali waved Palestinian flags, booed and whistled during the anthem.
After the match against Mali, Israeli head coach Guy Luzon said that the protest against his team and Israel would only be used as fuel to improve results on the field. He also added:
“Bring on the loudest protests. They will make us try harder.”
French coach arrested
A French canoeing coach working at the Paris Olympics has been detained after allegedly punching police officers who stopped him for urinating in the street, prosecutors said.
The French Canoe and Kayak Federation said coach Guillaume Berge was suspended from his duties. The report said Bergé was not coaching French teams at the Olympics, but was holding social events at the canoeing and kayaking venue in Vaires-sur-Marne, east of Paris.
The incident happened on Monday night to Tuesday in eastern Paris and a preliminary investigation has been launched, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Other details have not been released pending further investigation.
Heat wave threatens Olympics
Tennis and football players are being allowed to take water breaks, BMX cyclists are sitting under umbrellas between races and horses are being monitored with thermal imaging cameras as the Summer Olympics adapt to the heat wave that has gripped Paris and much of France.
Temperatures were expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius (98.6°F) at the Roland Garros tennis complex near Paris on Tuesday.
Players can use the break to shower, change equipment, eat, drink or go to the toilet, but they cannot get medical attention or talk to a coach. If the heat gets worse, a committee including the tournament referee and medical staff may decide to suspend play.
In football, when the temperature is above 32 degrees Celsius, there are cooling breaks in both halves of the match. At a BMX freestyle competition in Concorde Square in central Paris, riders stood under umbrellas cooled by electric fans while coaches applied ice.
