By Andrew Warshaw
May 26 – More than 90,000 police and security agents will be deployed across France to ensure safety at Euro 2016 as fears about potential terrorist action heighten, according to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
Vowing to do “everything possible to avoid a terrorist attack” the announcement followed the disruption at last weekend’s domestic cup final at the Stade de France in Paris when fans threw firecrackers and flares inside and outside the stadium and banned objects were brought in.
Cazeneuve told L’Equipe that the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille should not be considered a test for Euro 2016. “They were not the same spectators, not the same organisers, nor the same security deployment,” he said.
“However, what happened will be taken into account” ahead of the month-long tournament, which kicks off on June 10th with matches to be played at ten venues around the country.
Cazeneuve said 77,000 police and paramilitary police will be deployed, along with 13,000 private security guards.
“Our objective is for the Euro to be a big festive gathering, but we owe the French the truth. Zero percent precaution means 100 percent risk, but 100 percent precaution does not mean a zero percent risk,” he said.
“We are doing everything to avoid a terrorist attack, and we are preparing to respond.”
The Stade de France, which will host the opening game and final, was targeted by suicide bombers during the attacks by Islamic State in November but the assailants tried unsuccessfully to get inside the security perimeter.
The French government has rejected calls from opposition politicians to cancel Euro 2016, or at the very least the fan zones which are at particularly high risk with thousands of spectators likely to gather to watch games. Organisers say that everyone entering the fan zones, one of which will be close to the Eiffel Tower, will be searched by security forces.
France has been under a state of emergency since the terrorist attacks that killed 130 people last November. “Such a unique event in exceptional circumstances requires extra security measures,” said Cazeneuve.
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