France blocks 1,000 people from Olympics over spying concerns

Three days before the start of the 2024 Olympics, France’s interior minister said about 1,000 people suspected of possibly meddling for a foreign power have been blocked from attending the Olympics — one of the security challenges that Paris is cracking down on in its goal to keep Games safe for athletes and fans.

About 1 million background checks have scrutinized Olympic volunteers, workers and others involved in the Games as well as those applying for passes to enter the most tightly controlled security zone in Paris — along the banks of the Seine — ahead of the opening ceremony on the river Friday.

The checks blocked about 5,000 people from attending, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Tuesday. Out of them, “there are 1,000 people whom we suspect of foreign interference — we can say spying,” Darmanin said.

Darmanin, who is staying on in a caretaker role until a new government is formed following legislative elections this month that denied President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition a majority, has repeatedly pointed to suspicions of Russia-backed interference.

“We’re here to make sure … that sport isn’t used for spying, for cyberattacks or to criticize and sometimes even lie about France and the French,” Darmanin said.

He added that “interfering and manipulating information” is not coming from Russia only but from some other countries, too, which he did not name. He also didn’t give more information on the suspected meddling.

“That’s why we’re on the alert, and we want them to know that we’re not naive,” he said.

Others blocked from the Olympics after background checks were flagged for suspected Islamic radicalization, left- or right-wing political extremism, significant criminal records and other security concerns,