Politicians and sports stars reassure the public ‘it’s going to be beautiful’, but those planning to flee the city are unconvinced
When government posters recently appeared in Métro stations advising Parisians to work from home during the summer’s Olympic Games to avoid overcrowded public transport, Julie, 24, a support worker for refugees, was puzzled.
“It feels a bit like Covid lockdown all over again,” she said. “It’s like saying: ‘Parisians, stay confined to your homes, out of the way, while all this money is spent on the Games.’ Personally, I’ll stay away. I’m not happy about the idea of clearing homeless people from the city centre to make way for the Games.”