The French Interior Ministry confirmed on Monday that 7,000 police and gendarmes—plus 2,000 firefighters—will be on duty in the capital and its suburbs on 14 July to secure the military parade, evening fireworks, and the France-Spain World Cup semi-final screening on the Champ-de-Mars. The deployment is 20 % higher than last year and is designed to provide rapid response across multiple tourist hotspots. Police prefect Laurent Núñez said security forces will operate mobile perimeter checks around major transport hubs, including Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon and the RER nodes at Châtelet-Les Halles and Nation. Random bag inspections and alcohol-carrying bans will apply from 20:00 on 13 July until early Wednesday morning. For international assignees and corporate guests, the main impact will be mobility related. Several Metro stations near the Eiffel Tower (Bir-Hakeim, Trocadéro, Champ-de-Mars-Tour-Eiffel) will close from 19:00, and ride-hail drop-off zones will be pushed back behind anti-ram barriers. Road closures along the parade route on Avenue Foch and surrounding streets begin at 05:00, affecting airport-hotel transfers. Event organisers have been told that foreign VIPs arriving at Le Bourget business-aviation terminal must pre-register passenger lists 48 hours in advance; otherwise they will be redirected to Charles-de-Gaulle where reinforced passport control will be in place. Companies hosting client events should communicate last-mile access maps and advise attendees to travel with photo ID. Despite the heavy footprint, authorities insist the capital remains "open for business" and expect public transport capacity to meet demand outside the immediate exclusion zones. RATP will run additional night-time Metro services, but only ticket holders will be allowed within fenced fan-zones.
Source: AFP / Boursorama
