Darmanin identifies drones as major terrorist threat at major sporting events

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told AFP in Doha on Sunday.the attack with drones “was”the main terrorist threat» for sporting events such as the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympics hosted in France.

Drones aretoday’s and tomorrow’s major terrorist threat – a drone loaded with explosives that flies over a crowd, a naked team, at an opening ceremony, like at the Olympics.Gérald Darmanin, representing France, said during the opening match of the 2022 World Cup between Qatar and Ecuador.

225 security forces in Doha for the safety of French supporters

“When we organize such an event, cyber-attacks, the fight against drones, issues of terrorist threats, the flow of people are important topics.He continued from the hotel for the Blues, whom he greeted earlier in the afternoon, two days before going into action against Australia, and whom he wanted to see in the final.Brazil“. “We have (in Doha) 225 police, gendarmerie and deminers who are there to help secure the French supporters, which will number up to 20,000 people.“, he explained.

Not comparing the World Cup of football or rugby with the Olympic Games, the minister noted.things that can obviously inspire us“. “It’s wisdom and experience to know for tomorrow, the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics. Lessons should be learned from previous competitions, this is also the last major competition before our own competition in France“, he said.

The opening ceremony of the Paris Games, which will take place on the Seine River, with 600,000 spectators expected, is the main concern of the French authorities. Thirty-five thousand policemen and gendarmes will be mobilized for this event on July 26, 2024.

“Develop” Qatar through this kind of event

Referring to the controversies raised during the World Cup in Qatar, particularly regarding human rights and discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities, Gerald Darmanin reiterated:what the president of the republic said, “sport is a competition that should be held outside of political issues.”” “Secondly, it is a competition here in Qatar, which was chosen more than 10 years ago, and we should not make anachronisms, and thirdly, it allows us, on the contrary, to develop some countries, such as Qatar, with the right to work, with respect for ecology, environment“, he said.

“It is through this type of event that we will make them evolve. Since we have chosen a country to host an international event like the FIFA World Cup, we must support this country.“, he explained.

“It is normal that major world competitions are held in all continents of the world. If we organize events only in Europe, it will be difficult to consider them global.added the minister, who had lunch with his Qatari counterpart earlier.