French citizens are planning a controversial protest against the government's expensive plan to clean up the Seine River in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, involving a mass "defecation flashmob" in the river.
The protest is a reaction to the high cost of the Seine cleanup project, backed by £1.2 billion (Rs 12231 crore) in state funds, with critics arguing that the money could be better spent elsewhere.
The hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin (I Poop in the Seine on June 23rd) began trending on social media after Mayor Hidalgo announced the planned swim, and organizers offer guidance on when and where to defecate in the Seine for the protest.
Despite the purification efforts, independent water tests in the Seine still yield concerning results, and the international federations may have doubts about the facilities handling the increased load during the Games.
Swimming in the Seine has been illegal for a century due to pollution levels, but efforts are ongoing to clean it up to make it swimmable again for the Olympics, as it was during the 1900 Paris Olympics.
However, the nonprofit Surfrider has raised concerns about the safety of some sections due to high concentrations of bacteria in the water.
French residents lack confidence in the country's ability to smoothly run the Olympics, with only 36% believing the Seine will be swimmable in time for the Opening Ceremony.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: NDTV, Newsweek, Washington Times, dagensps.se, Times of India