Police officers across France are being urged to protest for extra pay during this year's Paris Olympics, underlining the threat of strikes and disruption to the games.
Public broadcaster France 24 reported that French authorities are scrambling to agree to pay deals presented by several public sector trade unions who were using the Olympics, which is set to be held later this year, as leverage to secure bonuses for their members.
It was previously reported that Paris officers hopped aboard open-top buses last week to demand bonuses for extra duties from late July to early September, which would span the period allotted for the Summer Olympics and the Summer Paralympics this year. Some of the protesters waved flags showing the Olympic rings as handcuffs.
Several police unions across the nation urged officers to show "minimum activity" on Thursday and a protest was called for midday near the main police station in Paris, with other demonstrations planned by night-shift workers later.
"For an exceptional event, exceptional measures," the Alliance police union said in its statement explaining how unions were demanding up to EUR 2,000 ($2,200) for their members in compensation for lost holidays and extra work over the games.
French Government Interventions
In response to the earlier protest last week, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin met with police representatives on Monday (January 15) and told them that the government has a fund for the Olympics of around EUR 500 million for the security forces, sources close to the negotiations told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The 2024 Paris Olympics was the first for the country in a century to showcase the best of the country from the historic monuments of Paris to its role as a global center of food, fashion, and sporting excellence.
Organizers are also desperate to avoid reinforcing France's reputation for violent street protests and industrial disputes, especially in recent months. The country is still reeling from several series of protests, such as 2018's "Yellow Vest" protests, the pension reform, and urban riots last year, as well as protests on both sides of the Israel-Hamas War.
"The Olympics are a double-edged sword for the image of a country," Paris-based communication expert Philippe Moreau Chevrolet told AFP. "The strikes, riots, and Yellow Vests created a poor image of France as a destination. If it calms down for the Olympics, it could be a good way of repairing what has been damaged."
