Lockdown? No, but tightened security rules for Olympics leave some Paris streets empty

Parisians were subjected to police checks or were forced to make detours around streets near the River Seine on Thursday (July 18), when tightened security rules for circulation in the capital took effect ahead of the Olympic Games' opening ceremony.

Police have set up security checkpoints around the Seine, the venue of the Games' opening ceremony, and only allow local residents who live in the restricted zones to go through.

"It's nice not having cars around, I think it's like Paris without cars," Parisian Estelle Boubault said. "We can only compare it to the period during COVID-19 when everything was quiet. But I think right now, it's a bit more joyous than COVID - it's the Olympics."