Paris 2024: Why are Parisians threatening to poop in the Seine River?

Parisians are threatening to poop in the River Seine ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics as a mark of protest against the poor quality of water in the river.

Earlier this month, France’s President Emmanuel Macron vowed to swim in the river ahead of the games, along with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, to prove it’s safe after the government spent almost £1.5 billion cleaning it up.

However, the dip planned by both politicians was delayed as the river was still showing high levels of bacteria from waste and sewage – and the locals are fed up.

In response to the dirty water, a mass protest was garnered to make the water even dirtier by encouraging Parisians to poo in the river.

A website has popped up using the hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin – which translates to, “I shit in the Seine on June 23”.

A venue for triathlon

The website explained, “Because after putting us in shit it’s up to them (Macron and Hidalgo) to bathe in our shit.”

The anonymous programmer who created the website told French news outlet ActuParis, "At the beginning, the objective was to make a joke, by bouncing off this ironic hashtag. In the end, are people going to go s**t in the Seine or set up militant actions? Nothing is excluded."

Triathletes at the Olympic games are due to complete the swimming leg of the race in the Seine River, but there are ongoing fears about the water quality and the impact it could have on their health.

The games’ president Tony Estanguethas previously acknowledged that the triathlon swim could be cancelled or delayed due to the water’s condition.