Rise of the far-right, terrorism threats and strikes that mean Paris Olympics could be hit by violent protests
THE Paris Olympics kicks off in less than three weeks, but it is feared France’s political upheaval could cause chaos – with violent protests and burning buildings.
Thousands of British sports fans are expected to descend on the country’s capital from July 26.
And as the Gallic nation goes to the polls today, experts warn trouble could flare over its election result.
The alert comes as the French government also revealed on Friday that two terror plots were thwarted which targeted the Olympics.
Whether the far-right National Rally party — led by Marine Le Pen, daughter of anti-Semitic Holocaust denier Jean-Marie — sweeps to power or the vote results in a hung parliament, turmoil could erupt.
Oxford Professor of Modern History Mark Almond told The Sun on Sunday: “The radical Left and radical Right are facing up to each other. There is a long history of violence on both sides so it’s almost certain there will be trouble come tomorrow. In the weeks before the Olympics there could be a very unstable situation, all sorts of clashes, with a racial tinge.
“The majority of Muslims and recent arrivals are not going to be happy about any Le Pen win, and there is already discontent in outlying Paris because of poverty.
“Some of those suburbs are close to the Olympic venues, so we could see sports reports featuring smoke in the background from burning tyres or buildings.”
French President Emmanuel Macron spectacularly miscalculated by calling last Sunday’s first poll following disastrous European election results for his party.
After Le Pen’s Rassemblement National steamed to victory with 33 per cent in the election’s first round, rioting engulfed the streets of Paris, with thousands of enraged Left-leaning voters setting light to rubbish, smashing shop windows and launching fireworks.
Some projections had shown the RN could win 240 to 270 seats, which would leave Le Pen’s slick young protege Jordan Bardella, 28, short of the 289 seats he needs to become Prime Minister. But a Harris Interactive poll points to the RN falling short of an absolute majority today, winning 190 to 220 seats.
The newly formed left-wing alliance, known as the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), is projected to come in second, with 159 to 183 seats.
This would prove their strategy to band together against Le Pen has paid off.
Then Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance are expected to shrink by half or more to fewer than 135 seats.
The deeply divided parliament could lead to a period of turmoil, and riots Paris has already seen could increase.
Before the snap election the government cut crowd numbers at the Olympic opening ceremony to 300,000 amid fears of terrorism, pollution and strike action.
Some 35,000 cops have already been deployed to ensure the safety of the Games, supported by 18,000 military personnel and 2,000 foreign police officers. With thin resources of their own, France has asked 46 countries to help provide about 2,200 extra officers, many of whom will be armed.
The French Defense Ministry has also asked foreign nations for a small number of military personnel, including sniffer dogs.
Around 30,000 cops are due to be deployed each day, with 45,000 working for the opening ceremony.
Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris Games’ organising committee, said: “France has never deployed so many means for security. I have faith the security services in our country will make the Games safe.”
The terrorist threat remains “extremely high” according to interior minister Gerald Darmanin who revealed there had been “several arrests” in connection with the two terrror plots.
Mr Darmanin said: “In recent days, we have not made it public because we are in an election campaign, but we have arrested people who may have planned and put terrorist attacks into place.”
CALLING AN ELECTION ‘A CATASTROPHE FOR GAMES’
PRESIDENT Macron has been slammed for dissolving parliament and calling an election so close to the Olympics.
Pascal Boniface, head of Paris-based think-tank Iris, described it as “catastrophic for the Games”.
Security experts warned that police – who will already be under pressure patrolling a 300,000-strong crowd as competitors sail down the River Seine for the spectacular opening ceremony on July 26 – would have an even tougher job if protests break out.
Pierre Rabadan, a senior official responsible for Olympics planning, voiced concerns about the global perception of France if the far right wins power.
He said: “The Games are about welcoming the world and showing we are an open country. That goes against what National Rally wants.”
Sebastien Maillard, a special adviser to think-tank the Jacques Delors Institute, would not speculate if there would be violence like France endured in 2018.
Then, “Yellow Vest” cost-of-living rallies saw fierce clashes as hundreds of thousands protested. But he said: “If the RN wins, there will be demonstrations, especially in Paris.”
Protesters also filled the streets when Le Pen’s party won 17 per cent of the vote in 2022.
She succeeded her father Jean- Marie in 2011. Now 96 and living in Paris, he founded the Front National in 1972 and was nicknamed the “Devil of the Republic” due to his extreme views on Muslims, Jews and foreigners as he campaigned furiously against mass migration and deindustrialisation.
He was convicted three times for downplaying the Holocaust and disputing whether six million Jews were killed by the Nazis.
When his daughter took over she set about “de-demonising” the party, changing its name to National Rally, dropping its anti-Semitic views and expressing support for Israel. She even kicked out her father when he described the Holocaust as a mere “detail.”
If she triumphs today, Le Pen will seek to end the automatic right for children born to foreign parents in France to claim citizenship at 18.
And she plans to deport migrants whose asylum claims are rejected, restrict family reunifications, expel foreign-born criminals and curb legal and illegal immigration.
Professor Almond said: “Migrants in France tend to be Muslims from the old French colonies, and that’s played on by Le Pen’s side, who say ‘we are being invaded by foreigners and terrorists’.
“If you look at the map of election results, the further you live from a railway station and Michelin-starred restaurant, the more likely you are to vote for Le Pen.
“Also, the issues we are facing are more pronounced in France — the collapse in public services, people on the left and right saying the health service doesn’t function. There is a lot of discontent. Le Pen had a falling out with his daughter, so it’s not clear if he will be proud of her.
“The question is, does his daughter’s party still secretly harbour her father’s views or have they evolved?”
Dr David Lees, reader in French Studies at Warwick University, says of Le Pen: “She has been very clever working out how to appeal to different groups, including migrants now settled from Africa but still concerned about migration.
“She previously said having Muslims praying in the street is like the Nazis having tanks in Paris during the Second World War.
“She is deeply prejudiced against particular groups of people but has succeeded in appearing not anti-Semitic. And she is more appealing to voters than the far left.”