Booksellers along the river Seine are expressing concern over the upcoming Olympics in Paris, as they have been informed by local authorities that their stalls must be removed for the Summer Games opening ceremony in 2024 due to security reasons, Reuters reports.
Nearly 60% of the famous old stalls that line the river, approximately 570 in total, need to be dismantled and relocated, according to the city authorities.
Jerome Callais, the president of the Paris booksellers association, lamented the decision, comparing their significance to Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. He expressed dismay at the idea of being hidden during an event meant to represent the essence of Paris.
Paris police cited "obvious security reasons" as the basis for their instruction to remove the stalls from the perimeter of protection for the opening ceremony. The ceremony is expected to draw at least 600,000 people to the Seine, with athletes and delegations sailing along the river. Unlike previous editions, this will be the first time the public has free access to the opening ceremony, which will not be held in a stadium.
While the French government is taking measures to ensure event security, Albert Abid, a bookseller with a 100-year-old wooden stall, worries about the impact on their livelihood. Abid and fellow booksellers feel excluded from the celebrations and fear that their delicate stalls might be damaged during the relocation process.
"(They) are very fragile.. our stalls will not be able to withstand this operation, nor will the morale of the booksellers," said the seller of 10 years in front of his riverside stall holding around 100-150 books.
Paris authorities claim to have met with the booksellers and offered to cover the expenses of removing and potentially repairing the stalls as part of a "renovation" project. They believe this will support the application to have the Seine booksellers recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. However, it remains unclear whether the booksellers are expected to move only during the opening ceremony or for the entire duration of the Games.
They have been invited to relocate to a specially designated "bookseller village" in a "literary neighborhood near the Seine" during the event. Yet, Callais opposes this proposed location at Bastille Square, deeming it impractical, and expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of alternative compensation measures, raising doubts about the viability of the solution offered.
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