Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo proposed to keep the Eiffel Tower decorated with the Olympic rings, to retain the memories of the legendary sporting event until the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
The Eiffel Tower´s Olympic rings were removed early morning on September 27, returning the iconic tower to its original form. 30-tonne steel rings from the first and second floors, installed on June 7, had been removed to be melted down and recycled. But this may not be the last time the Eiffel Tower is embroidered with Olympic symbols.
Paris Mayor wants to keep the Olympic rings
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has claimed, “We have transformed Paris with the Olympic Games,” has promised to build new Olympic rings to keep them on the Eiffel Tower as a tribute to the Games held during the summer. She had initially proposed to place the new rings permanently; “Maybe they´ll stay after 2028, maybe not. We´ll see.”
But met with harsh criticism by the descendants of the tower´s creator Gustave Eiffel, and conservation groups, Hidalgo then suggested that the rings stay on the tower at least until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
The creation of the new rings would be paid for by the International Olympic Committee. They would be lighter and less eminent versions of the original rings, according to the deputy Paris mayor, Pierre Rabadan. Hidalgo also expressed her wish to retain other emblems of the Olympic Games in the capital, such as the cauldron placed in front of the Louvre and statues of women near the river Seine.
Paris residents don´t want to keep the Olympic rings
Representing the union of international sports, the Olympic rings have never been used outside the Games, causing confusion among Parisians about Hidalgo´s wish to keep them on the city´s most iconic monument. Culture Minister Rachida Dati, an opponent of Hidalgo, commented that if gone through, the Mayor´s proposal would need to consider the protection of the historic monument.
Ultimately being a brand, displaying the Olympic Games in Paris long-term, would be considered a form of advertising, drawing away the attention from historic areas of Paris, which have seen less interest from visitors since the Games. During the Olympics, museums in Paris recorded up to 50 per cent reduction in appearance, causing concerns of preservation groups.
Considering the plentiful controversies faced by the Paris Games, including the opening ceremony being disrupted by terrorist threats and the collapse of the railway system, as well as the questionable opening scene of Drag Queens, which was associated with a parody description of the Last Supper, the Games were criticized from their very launch.
Far from being the most successful of the Games, the Paris Olympics also faced concerns about the safety of using the river Seine for the competition and were criticized for allowing Israel to participate amidst the Israel-Hamas war. Moreover, the French government´s ban on hijabs during the Games resulted in harsh commentary about this year´s competition. Even during the Olympic Hymn, the Olympic Flag was raised upside down.
Before the Games, 50 per cent of Parisians were reported leaving the city, in worry that the Games would disrupt their daily lives. The Head of the Paris Olympics Organising Committee, Tony Estanguet, however, said then, that the “magical” Olympics would be worth the disruptions faced by residents. Paris Mayor, likewise, seems more invested in foreign affairs than in the views of Paris residents.
