Paris Olympics Slammed for “Social Cleansing,” Mass Displacement, Militarization & Greenwashing

Just hours before Friday’s opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics, a series of apparently coordinated arson attacks were reported on France’s high-speed rail network. No one has claimed responsibility yet. Before the games, protests highlighted the displacement of thousands of migrants, unhoused people and other vulnerable communities as “social cleansing.” We go to Paris for an update with Jules Boykoff, former professional soccer player, author and scholar focusing on the Olympic Games, and Paul Alauzy, Paris-based activist with the collective Revers de la Médaille (Other Side of the Medal). “We are not anti-Olympics,” says Alauzy. “You can support the games, but you need to know that they have a big social impact and they come with a cost. And they come with a cost of the lives of hundreds, thousands of people being mistreated.” We also discuss how Palestinian athletes are taking part in this year’s Olympics amid the Israeli war on Gaza, the health risks of competing during rising heat and COVID, the environmental impact of major sporting events and more.

(Video thumbnail image: Kyodo via Reuters Connect)

[mistertamura]

It's disturbing how mainstream media fixates on gaffes like an upside-down flag or the mix up of South- and North Korea. Meanwhile, not a word about the clean up of “the unwanted” from Parisian streets, or the fact that Russia is banned from the games for war crimes in Ukraine, yet Israel gets a free pass to livestream a genocide without any pushback from the IOC.

[AA_BB_CC_D]

Isn’t “social cleansing” a hallmark of *ALL* Olympics? 😕

[nizzie]

To be fair, the Parisians hate the Olympics and the fuss it’s causing. As a response to the cleaning of the Seine and Macron saying he’d take a swim in it, people announced they’re gonna take a shit in it.

[martylewis]

Get Ready. The Los Angeles ‘28 will need to “displace” @ 75, 000 or more to make the streets “clean.” Why do we pretend they don’t exist for 2 weeks?

[davec.]

The elites gotta keep up appearances of a functioning city.

[MA-iwog]

This really shows that they don't care about the athletes, they're just been used to generate money with total disregard to the human aspect of it.
Boycotting the game is a good strategy unfortunately.

[poupee]

Ironic: France -as other European countries - became wealthy through the US financing and the colonies in Africa it held ; now, the French political tendency rejects the African immigrants whose countries have been looted for centuries

[Christian-xebg]

Today, the olympic games are not a sporting event. These games are a political event organized by the rich💰for the rich💰. The rich people don't want to see the poor. That creates cognitive dissonance.

[nsbdnow]

The Olympics are just gross on so many levels at this point.

[MSMETALBABY]

It's SOO disgusting to do this to human beings. Money comes before all else.

[sean-kq]

Vancouver did that with the homeless during the Winter Olympics.

[jayleeper]

If Israel is allowed to participate, the Olympics should be boycotted by all. South Africa was barred for being apartheid, it should be the same for Israel.

[scottharrison]

In solidarity with these people being treated like rubbish, I will not be watching the Olympics. And what irony that Israel is welcome but the vulnerable poor are being expelled from the city.

[markcutts]

The ' People's Games ' will cost 2600 Euros per person for the Opening Ceremony and 1600 Euros each for The Closing Ceremony.

The big athletics Final Medals Days costs 980 Euros per person.

The French ' People ' must be very well paid people indeed.

Of course ( like myself ) you can watch it on TV for free.

It will be shown between the Nike / MacDonald and KFC adverts for healthy eating and weight loss.

[Lo]

It’s happening everywhere every Olympic Games. If there are poor, homeless people they get pushed out, kept away, even confined in some camps. It isn’t unique to Paris 2024 Olympics

[nicatnight]

For such a depressing discussion Paul Alauzy’s reaction to Jules Boykoff is everything! And the Tahiti story is wild. The poor coral reefs!!!

[tarmotyyri]

Western values - entertainment over human rights.

[ericsabourin]

The big joke of the Olympics all in façade.

[dimatadore]

I don’t blame these migrants for running away from the horrific situations the west puts them through in their own countries.

[adrianobulla]

These will be the worst Olympics ever... But that's not the problem. This system MUST end.