France prepares for most audacious opening ceremony in Olympic history, fans must pre-register for tickets

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To pull off the most audacious opening ceremony in Olympic history, French organizers are now — literally — on the same page.

France's government, the organizing committee president for the 2024 Paris Games and the French capital's mayor signed an 11-page security protocol Tuesday that for the first time publicly laid out some of the gritty details of their planning to shield the unprecedented July 26 opening ceremony from the threats of terrorism, drone attacks and other risks for the massive crowds and 10,500 athletes.

A notable change is that the hundreds of thousands of spectators who will watch the open-air gala for free, spread along a 3 1/2-mile parade route on the River Seine, will need to pre-register for tickets. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, in charge of Olympic security, had been pushing for that shift so throngs of non-paying spectators can be allocated designated spots on the river's upper embankments, separated from 100,000 other guests paying for a closer, waterside view.

In the face of experts' misgivings about the size and complexity of the security operation, Darmanin, organizing committee president Tony Estanguet and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo spoke at a news conference in defense of France's decision to use the center of the city as the venue for the extravaganza, ditching the safety of a traditional stadium setting for the first time.

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It promises great television if all goes well, showcasing iconic monuments and the Seine that is being cleaned up for Olympic swimming. But the unique logistical and security requirements