Paris Olympics 2024: The Backlash and Controversies Surrounding the Games

Expected to be a celebration of sportsmanship and global spirit, the Paris Olympics 2024 has not been absent from controversy. However, people have protested the Olympics from every corner — they're angry about environmental issues to social justice. In this article, we analyze the main criticism that has come up and some of its causes; which can have very deep consequences for the Olympic movement.

• Environmental Concerns and Sustainability Issues

Concerns pertaining to the environment, one of the leading points where backlash has risen for Paris Olympics 2024. Even before lockdown, Paris — a city dogged by high levels of pollution and challenged global climate targets found itself upbraided for the environmental impact being seen from hosting such an obscenely large event. Many environmentalists remained skeptical, though with a history of failed promises from organizers like the Paris Games and its insistence that they would be "the greenest Olympics in history".

Opponents argued building new infrastructure and hosting millions of global sightseers would only increase the city's carbon footprint. The choice to construct new buildings instead of reusing current ones also stirred questions on resource consumption and waste management. Moreover, the conservationist in Himanshu has reservations about “the pressure on local ecologies with new built infrastructure.

• Social Justice and Economic Disparities

The Paris Olympics 2024 has faced similar junctures with accusations that it would widen the social and economic divide in a sprawling city which is already struggling to address these issues. Housing inequity and income inequality are significant challenges in Paris, as they are in cities around the world. To keep the agenda clear, of course there has been no money for social causes even if they are every bit as important financially to provide a way out for those kids from marginalized neighborhoods.

Many local interests, especially in poorer communities, feared displacement or dispossession from the urban development associated with staging an Olympic Games. In some parts of Paris house prices are out of reach for low-paid workers, who already find it difficult to save due to the high cost of living following an influx in tourism and Olympic-related activity which has cost local people thousands a year.

• Human Rights Concerns and Labor Issues

The human rights impact of the Paris Olympics 2024 has been a focus for international scrutiny. There were reports of workers building Olympic venues and infrastructure being subject to labor rights abuses. The world's biggest sporting event has been castigated as a global unity symbol amid accusations of shoddy labor conditions, low pay and human rights abuses.

Another point of criticism was how migrant workers, which is a large portion of the labor force in Paris and outskirts, are treated. Several activists in France and human rights organizations have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also French authorities to ensure no workers are oppressed against their will so that they do not exercise exploitation of labor.

• Conclusion: The Future of the Olympic Movement

The Paris Olympics 2024 has been greeted with backlash — illustrating the mindful obstacles in place when preparing to host a global event of this nature. Celebrating athletic achievement and international cooperation, however they also raise important questions about sustainability under the auspices of social justice and human rights.

As these issues come to light more and more globally, there is mounting pressure for upfront honesty in potential future Olympic bids. If the Olympic movement is to remain relevant, and if host cities like Tokyo are still deemed suitable locations for future Olympics, these issues have to be addressed by organizations such as the IOC directly.

The legacy of the Paris Olympics 2024 would not only be that it had provided a platform for athletes to deliver their best performances. But also in how controversies arose, and they were addressed thus ensuring fencing got its due credit. Hopefully this can serve as a guide to future host cities on how the games could be run in a more welcoming, long term and responsible manner.