The Olympic Games are often associated with increased TV viewership, as fans sit in front of their TV sets to watch the competition in real time and cheer on their athletes. Conversely, the athletes devote a significant portion of their lives to preparing for this important global sporting event. Finally, for the host city authorities, the Olympic Games entail substantial expenditures for new buildings, necessary facilities, and thorough cleaning and preparation of the city for the Games.

French activists are raising the alarm as Paris authorities plan to relocate homeless individuals from the streets of the French capital to camps in other parts of the country. The Utopia 56 Foundation wrote on X: "This morning, another eviction took place along the Seine. The Ministry of the Interior used the ‘terrorist risk’ to justify the operation. A hundred or so homeless young people once again found themselves wandering the streets of Paris."

The gendarmerie and the police are responsible for removing the homeless and other 'undesirable individuals' from the city streets. Paul Alauzy of the organisation Médecins du Monde said, "They are hiding the misery under the rug. If this really was a dignified solution to the problem, people would be fighting to get on the buses. They’re not."

The activists' outrage has compelled Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to take action. The mayor explains that City Hall has consistently urged the government to provide housing for homeless Parisians.

In an interview with The Guardian, Hidalgo said: "I am angry about this being pushed on to the city [authority] because it’s not our role or responsibility, and we already play more than our part in finding urgent accommodation for vulnerable people. Every week, we are putting families into homes."

Source: The Guardian