Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, French citizens have planned a movement in protest of the safety of the Seine River after some politicians announced that they would be swimming in it.
The movement has been dubbed “Je Chie Dans La Seine Le 23 Juin,” which translates to “I poop in the Seine on June 23.”
Since 1923, swimming in the Seine River has been illegal, but in preparation for the 2024 Olympics, which will be hosted in Paris, the French government has dedicated $1.5 billion to clean up the waterway so it can be used for water events.
Earlier this year, President Emmanuel Macron vowed to swim in the river to prove that it was safe and clean enough for humans to be in the water.
His pledge prompted Mayor Anne Hidalgo to do the same. Her swim will take place on June 23. The Olympic Games will commence on July 26.
The protest campaign has gained a lot of attention on social media, with many people questioning the cleanliness of the water and expressing their concerns about Olympic events being held there. Participants have joked about making plans to gather together and unleash their waste into the river.
The European branch of the Surfrider Foundation has been conducting water tests on samples collected from the Seine over the course of six months.
The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization that focuses on ocean preservation, water quality, access to beaches, and preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.
The organization is skeptical that the river will be cleaned up in time for the Olympics, noting that only one out of 14 water samples taken from the section of the river where the water events will occur was considered “satisfactory.”
The other samples contained traces of E. coli and enterococci. The Surfrider Foundation also warned of the dangers the river poses to the health of the athletes.
“The athletes who will be taking part in the Olympic and Paralympic events planned for the Seine will be swimming in polluted water and taking significant risks to their health,” stated the organization.
A website has even been created for the protest movement, and it features the faces of President Macron and Mayor Hidalgo, talking about how the politicians can bathe in their feces.
