French Muslims Face Discrimination Amid Paris 2024 Olympics

As the Paris 2024 Olympics concluded, many French Muslims reported increased police harassment and discrimination, an article published by hyphen online newspaper reported yesterday.

It highlighted that in the months leading up to the games, over 500 raids were conducted on Muslim homes, often without prior evidence, under “preventative policing” measures. Residents in low-income suburbs like Saint-Denis expressed concerns about heightened police violence and the systematic closure of Muslim nonprofits, schools, and mosques.

The Olympics also prompted forced evictions to clear areas for infrastructure, displacing marginalized communities. Following recent legislative elections that saw far-right gains, fears mount that discriminatory policies and surveillance will persist beyond the Games. Activists warn that the ongoing crackdown reflects a broader trend of hostility towards Muslim citizens in France, raising alarms about civil liberties and community safety in the wake of heightened security measures.