Heatwave and France v Spain semi-final prompt reinforced 14 July security in Paris | OneFootball

Paris faces an unusual 14 July, with Bastille Day events taking place under a red heatwave alert and France meeting Spain in a World Cup semi-final at 21:00. Authorities have tightened security to reduce the risk of disorder.

The Paris police prefecture said in a statement that a reinforced operation would be in place to prevent public order disturbances, under the police prefect and in line with the interior minister’s instructions. It said the approach would combine responsiveness and firmness.

In the capital and its suburbs, 5,000 prefecture officers will be supported by 2,000 mobile-unit police and gendarmes and 2,000 firefighters. Some metro and RER stations will be closed. Alongside street CCTV, drones will monitor from the air and officers have been asked to record interventions on body-worn cameras.

An anti-delinquency plan will cover usual gathering spots, including the Trocadéro, the Champs-Élysées and nearby avenues, as well as public transport to identify potential groups of vandals early. The upper Champs-Élysées, from place de l’Étoile to avenue Georges-V, will be off limits.

The measures also aim to avoid a repeat of the damage and looting seen in the hours after PSG’s Champions League final win on 30 May.

To address the heatwave, the prefect has banned drinking alcohol on public roads and spaces. A separate order, in force from eight July to 20 July, prohibits the sale, carrying and transport of fireworks and other pyrotechnics, which are sometimes used against police.

Source: L'Équipe