The French are famously good at protesting – and it looks like they might be staging a more, er, unusual protest in Paris this summer.
Locals are clearly not too pleased about the government’s €1.4 billion scheme to clean up the River Seine for the 2024 Olympics. In fact, the French are so unhappy with this plan that they’re threatening to defecate into the iconic river.
Officials are intending to use the Seine for the Olympics, with triathlon and open-water swimming events planned to take place in the river. However, there are widespread concerns that the river is not safe to swim in due to contaminated water. Recent tests have found that samples of water from the Seine still contain E.coli.
Swimming in the Seine has been illegal since 1923, though it seems things are changing with French President, Emmanuel Macron, and Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, promising to dive in before the Games this summer.
News that their President will be taking a dip in the Seine has prompted the French to devise a plan to protest against what they see as wasteful spending on the cleaning scheme. The #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin hashtag, which translates to ‘I poop in the Seine on June 23’, has been trending on social media. If it goes ahead, protestors plan to defecate in the river before the politicians and Olympians venture in.
It’s fair to say the sentiment of locals towards the upcoming Olympic Games is mixed. Many Parisians are planning to leave the city, and news last year that the Seine’s famous bouquinistes will have to temporarily shut was not well received (though that decision has since been reversed).
Who’d have thought taking a dip in the river could be so dung-erous?
speaking of the Seine and public safety....
If you haven't seen Under Paris / Sous la Seine which was released this year, i totally recommend it. i watched it on friday. i expected an extremely stupid monster movie, but it's totally not bad and even entertaining. especially if you think the cops, the military, and politicians are all trash.
it's a high concept deal "a man eating shark is in the Seine!" which was enough to make me tune in, because how do you make that scary or even have a logic to it? who the eff is swimming or rowing around in the Seine in Paris? anyway, they do a good job building up the scientific context, and masking the turns. i do not want to give anything away, because i think the initial incredulity is handled well and is even part of the charm.
but i will say there's a whole bit about the 2024 Olympics and the mayor that is