[WATCH] Maltese journalist in Paris describes ‘tense’ atmosphere ahead of Olympics

The atmosphere in Paris is “tense”, especially after this morning’s attack on the French railway system, Maltese sports journalist Sandro Micallef told MaltaToday.

He said the arson and cyber-attack on the rail network disrupted travel to the capital where a hefty security operation is in place to ensure the games go smoothly.

Micallef said security on the streets and inside the sport venues is very tight and visible.

“I spoke with other journalists that are here to report on the events and like me they anticipated high security, but they didn’t expect the sheer number of police we can see roaming around,” he said.

The TVM journalist is in Paris to cover the Olympic games. He arrived in Paris on Thursday.

“I arrived yesterday [Thursday] and saw a vast amount of police and private security not only in the airport but also as I entered into central Paris and even in the venues that I have visited to see the preparations,” he said.

The opening ceremony is expected to start at around 7:30pm and will take place along the River Seine. The event is the first Olympic opening ceremony ever to take place outside a sporting venue and is a security headache in its own right. The national contingents will be travelling on boats along a 6km route.

Micallef said journalists have been advised to make their way to their respective vantage points along the Seine hours in advance of the opening ceremony.

“Security checks are everywhere and I even saw Spanish police cars as part of the international support requested by the French authorities to provide intelligence and backup, similar to what happened in the Euros held in Germany last month,” Micallef said.

He hopes that games will be a success and everything will pass without any major incidents. “It is not just a question of physical attacks but also cyber-attacks that can disrupt the electronic platforms used during the games. I hope nothing of this happens and tranquillity prevails,” he told MaltaToday outside the press centre, which is also heavily guarded by police.