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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo Swam in the Seine River For an Important Reason
The Seine is now open after a century-long swimming ban, but "poop protests" threaten the 2024 Olympics as social discord in France continues.
Officials in Paris are jumping feet first into the river, just in time for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam the Seine in the heart of the host city as part of efforts to show the people that the river is safe to swim after one hundred years of environmental concerns. The presentation on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 — just nine days away from the Olympics Opening Ceremony — sent the message that the renowned waterway was clean enough to host open water events such as the triathlon, according to multiple media outlets, including NBC News.
Before Wednesday, swimming in the city’s main artery had been mostly banned since 1923 due to unmanageable pollution. However, a cleanup incentive beginning in 2015 and costing approximately $1.5 billion, gave hope that swimmers could safely enter the waters.
Such efforts included the construction of a large, underground water storage basin, renovations on sewer lines, and improving wastewater treatment plants, according to the Associated Press.
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“It’s a dream day, and the sun is out,” Hidalgo said following her swim, as reported in The Guardian. “It’s sweet and wonderful and the result of a lot of work. I remember at the very beginning in 2015, when we began our campaign for the Games, the international triathlon federation said, ‘Why not a triathlon in the Seine? Will athletes be able to swim in the Seine?’ Today, we can say they can.”
Wearing goggles and a wetsuit, Hidalgo took the plunge before crowds after two previous attempts were postponed. Reasons for the cancellations, according to The Washington Post, ranged from excessive rainfall to political turmoil in France.
Paris 2024 organizing committee president, Tony Estanguet — a three-time Olympic gold medalist in canoeing — praised those behind the cleanup and City Hall for making the river possible to swim, according to The Guardian.
"As organizers, we’re very happy to be able to offer athletes the best conditions… but over and above that, what is at play is using the Games to speed up the transformation of the city and make it possible to swim in the Seine,” Estanguet stated.
Following Hidalgo’s 100-meter swim, spectators and athletes followed suit and joined the mayor in the 68-degree water. French President Emmanuel Macron previously stated his intent to celebrate with a swim, though when remains uncertain, according to Le Monde.
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Is the Seine River safe to swim?
Despite Hidalgo’s brave-faced demonstration, officials must monitor potentially dangerous levels of contaminants in the river. As late as June 2024, the Seine continuously tested high for the presence of E. coli and enterococci bacteria, indicating the river was contaminated with human excrement.
According to The Guardian, sporting sites along the river will be tested regularly throughout the coming weeks to ensure no less than 75% of identified bacteria is gone. However, heavy rains could have a significant impact on pollution levels, which would prevent individuals from getting into the river.
Estanguet said such results could delay Olympic competitions for “a few days,” per the U.K. outlet.
Rainfall isn’t the only thing threatening the health of the river, however, as “poop protests” loom amidst social conflict in the country.
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What are the poop protests?
When Hidalgo initially planned to swim the Seine River on June 23, 2024, hundreds (if not, thousands) of Parisians formed plans to stage a “poop protest,” according to Sky News. Fed up with the costs to clean the river, an anonymous website was created — one with a poop emoji as its mascot — where protesters stated their intentions to defecate upstream on the day of Hidalgo’s swim.
The hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin (which translates to “I sh-t in the Seine on June 23”) made its way across social media.
“They have plunged us into sh*t,” the website states. “It’s their turn to plunge into our sh*t.”
Frustrated citizens have accused politicians of neglecting other concerns in the city and cited price hikes in transportation as the Games drew closer. They also accused the city of clearing encampments containing unhoused people in an effort to “hide poverty,” according to Sky News.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Paris’ Olympic budget had already climbed to $10 billion, and an investigation was already underway into how privately raised funds were appropriated. A French anti-Olympic coalition, Saccage 2024, accused higher-ups of corruption.
Multiple rounds of snap parliamentary elections in France have also prompted calls for the protest, some told USA Today.
Hidalgo’s swim marks a victory lap in the face of ongoing resistance, with plans for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games to continue as planned.
The Seine will not only host swimmers vying for the gold, but a floating Opening Ceremony promises to be one of the “most memorable moments in Olympic history,” according to Olympics.com.
