OAN’s James Meyers
3:19 PM – Wednesday, May 8, 2024
The Olympic flame has officially reached Marseille, France, amid tight security on Wednesday. In 79 days, the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony commences.
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Over 150,000 people are expected to attend the welcoming ceremony. The flame left Athens on April 27th aboard a ship named Belem, which was first used in 1896, and spent 12 days at sea. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France.
The ship sailed into Marseille’s old port with the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, blaring from the embankment.
“We can be proud,” said President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the ceremony to welcome the torch.
“The flame is on French soil,” Macron said. “The games are coming to France and are entering the lives of the French people.”
Additionally, Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet said that the return of the Olympic games to France was cause for a “fantastic celebration.”
“As a former athlete, I know how important the start of a competition is. That is why we chose Marseille, because it’s definitely one of the cities most in love with sports,” added Estanguet, a former Olympic canoeing star with gold medals from the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Games.
The safety of visitors and residents has been a top priority for law enforcement in Marseille, which is the second highest populated city in France. Around 8,000 police officers have been deployed around the harbor.
“It’s a monumental day and we have been working hard for visitors and residents of Marseille to enjoy this historical moment,” said Yannick Ohanessian, the city’s deputy mayor.
The iconic torch relay will start on Thursday in Marseille, before going to Paris through other historic places across the nation, which consists of the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel to D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the Versailles Palace.
With worries of terrorism on the minds of many, French Interior Ministry spokesperson Camille Chaize said that officials were prepared for security threats.
“We’re employing various measures, notably the elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group unit, which will be present in the torch relay from beginning to end,” she said.
The Olympic cauldron will be lit following the Games’ opening ceremony, which will take place on the River Seine on July 26th.
The cauldron will be lit at a secret location in Paris until the historic opening day itself begins.
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