The Summer Olympics are coming fast and this year they’ll be held in Paris, France. For many nations, the Olympics are a time to show pride for your country and celebrate the amazing athletes that come to compete.
Some people watch sports such as mountain biking, gymnastics, and weight lifting with vigor and expertise that they never have throughout the rest of the year. It seems, however, that the Parisians have a different plan.
With Paris hosting the Olympics, the city has spent approximately $1.5 billion to clean out the famous river Seine so that swimming and rowing events can be held there. According to TikTok’s Roya Venturera, France’s president and Paris’s mayor plan to take a dip in the river on June 23 to prove how clean and safe it is for the athletes. On the same day, Parisians are planning a group poop in the river (yes, you read that correctly), thus undoing billions of dollars worth of work and humiliating their government as a form of protest.
Roya made a dual POV video about how people believe Parisians are so sophisticated and posh, yet they are supposedly planning something as disgusting and diabolical as a pooping flash mob. Naturally, non-Parisian viewers were disgusted but they were also completely fascinated with France’s affinity towards iconic methods of protest.
One commenter expressed complete admiration for Parisian’s creativity and dedication for pulling off such an elaborate protest. Even Roya said that the French are giving the rest of the world yet another masterclass on protesting. However, one commenter said that they would never swim in the Seine anyway, so Parisians can have at it.
According to BBC, swimming in the Seine has actually been illegal for over 100 years. Both industrial sanitation and sewage are to blame. Paris’ growing population has caused the quality of the water in the river to decline, causing swimming to end in 1923.
That being said, Paris has made improvements to the river over the past 20 years and it has become gradually safer and safer to swim in. The city has also incorporated upwards of 20 river beaches throughout the city but actually taking a plunge is only allowed in northern Paris.
Now, by 2025, the city has promised the use of the river by not only the Olympic athletes but also by Parisians. Although, the entire city pooping in the Seine may push that deadline back a couple of months.