Mumbai, June 25: Hundreds and thousands of French citizens who were reportedly planning to poop in the River Seine on Sunday, June 23, had their plans cancelled after it was announced that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron would not be swimming the river. Emmanuel Macron and Anne Hidalgo were both supposed to swim the River Seine on Sunday to prove that the water of the river was clean for Olympic athletes.

While officials have cited "political reasons" for cancelling Macron and Hidalgo's Sunday swim in the River Seine, they also said the swim would happen someday. However, people suspect that the decision was taken after plans emerged online to poop in the same river. It is also reported that French citizens' plan to poop would have hit the politicians at the right place as the Parisians planned to dive into the river at noon on June 23. Although the poping event has been stalled, let's understand what the Paris Poop Protest is all about. Anti-Sex Beds For Paris Olympics 2024: Check Out Reality of the New Mattress to be Used in Games Village of Multi-Sport Mega Event in France.

Hashtag Goes Viral

What is Paris Poo Protest?

The Paris poop protest was a citizen-led initiative that projected Parisians' anger over the expense of cleaning up the Seine River. French citizens who were upset with the way Emmanuel Macron's government spent money for cleaning the river reportedly rallied under the hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin, meaning "I shit in the Seine on 23 June" when translated.

Why Did Parisians Threaten To Poop in River Seine?

Reports also suggest that citizens are upset over the amount of money being spent to clean up the River Seine, with plans to use the iconic river as the venue for open-water swimming during the Paris Olympics 2024. The organiser of the Paris Games wants to showcase the river in 2024 and has embarked on a cleanup campaign. Reportedly, the campaign has so cost over one billion euros. India Secure Paris Olympic Games 2024 Team Quotas in Archery; Tarundeep Rai, Deepika Kumari Set for Fourth Games Appearances.

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However, scientific testing showed that the cleanup efforts have not yielded much, with the river still containing human excrement, garbage, and debris. When Macron and Hidalgo announced their plan to swim in the River Seine, protestors saw this as an opportunity. Soon, plans for a mass pooing began circulating online, with maps and water-flow measurements going viral.

While the swim has been cancelled and the Parisians' plan put on hold, officials are racing against time to ensure the water of the River Seine meets the standards by July 30.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2024 04:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).