Paris booksellers along the Seine River asked to remove their stalls for the 2024 Olympics

[Racing_Stripes]

The bouquinistes along the River Seine make up the largest open-air book market in Europe and represent a 400-year-old tradition.

However, about 570 of the stalls, which make up about 60% of the total along the river, need to be dismantled and moved, according to city authorities, for the opening ceremony on 26 July next year.

Police told the booksellers earlier this week their stalls are within the perimeter of protection for the ceremony and must be removed for “obvious security reasons”.

But the booksellers argue the move threatens to erase a symbol of the city, Reuters reported on Saturday.

Jerome Callais, president of the Paris booksellers association, told the news agency: “People come to see us like they come to see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, [but] they want to hide us during a ceremony that is supposed to represent Paris.” [click on link below for the rest of the article].

Paris booksellers angry at plans to ‘hide’ their stalls during Olympics | Olympic Games | The Guardian.

[wadeorcas]

There are probably a couple dozen Olympic sports I would like to have a good book to read while I’m not watching.

[dwat0870]

I believe this may qualify as the understatement of the week/month.

[Racing_Stripes]

The bookseller stalls have been an enduring part of the Paris scene. Visitors and locals alike enjoy browsing the stalls. It would be sad to see them forced out and not allowed to return.

Here’s a personal photo from Paris. Although it’s not one of the stalls, it’s a long-time favorite of visitors.
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Previous visitors to the same store:
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[oneida_books]

The biggest issue I see is everyone getting their same spot back afterward.

10+ years ago on our visit, we made a point of stopping by several of them, but bought nothing.

I did support an artist by buying this painting though on the strip …

[lake]

French security organizations have no sense of subtlety. Nor do they back down.