Parisians Plan To ‘Poop In Seine’ River As Macron Pledges To Take A Swim

French citizens have taken to social media to protest the Seine’s cleanliness ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Dubbed “Je Chie Dans La Seine Le 23 Juin” or “I Poop in the Seine on June 23,” the movement has been set up to question the river’s safety as the president of France pledges to swim in it.

As the Olympics draws near, President Emmanuel Macron intends to swim in the Seine River to prove it is clean and safe for use.

Citizens of France, who are renowned for their iconic protests, are now using social media to rally behind a new protest movement with the hashtag “Je Chie Dans La Seine Le 23 Juin,” which translates to “I Poop in the Seine on June 23.”

According to SBS News, this unconventional campaign aims to highlight concerns about the cleanliness of the Seine River.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned since 1923. However, with Paris hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, the government pledged $1.5 billion for a cleanup effort to enable open-water events in the river, including the swimming legs of triathlons and para-triathlons.

Furthermore, French President Emmanuel Macron also vowed to swim in the river earlier this year to demonstrate its safety.

“I’ll do it, but I won’t give you the date. You all risk being there,” Macron said, prompting Mayor Anne Hidalgo also to promise to swim in the famous waterway on June 23, just days before the Games commence on July 26.

The viral protest campaign “Je Chie Dans La Seine Le 23 Juin,” meaning “I Poop in the Seine on June 23,” has gained momentum on X and Tiktok as participants strategize the logistics of their plan.

In the comments, one user humorously requested a “live stream because it’ll be a great birthday present!.” Another added, “I would be concerned if I was an athlete, but as a spectator, this is hilarious.”

A third commenter noted, “Maybe they want to turn the swimming competition into a treasure hunt, the more ridiculous thing you find in the Seine the higher the score…”

Meanwhile, some users expressed skepticism about the cleanliness of the river.

One person took a shot at the French president, writing, “I feel like the Seine within the city limits has more crap in it than water, and there definitely will be by the time Macron goes in.”

For over six months, ahead of the Olympics, the European branch of the Surfrider Foundation has been conducting water tests on samples from the Seine.

However, doubts persist regarding the river’s cleanup in time for the Olympics, as the organization’s website indicates that athletes will “risk having to compete in the polluted waters of the Seine.”

The organization noted that out of 14 samples from the event area of the triathlon, marathon swimming, and para-triathlon events, only one was deemed “satisfactory,” as the remaining samples contained E. coli and enterococci, describing them as “intestinal bacteria and formidable indicators of pollution of fecal origin.”

The Surfrider Foundation warned of health risks for athletes competing in events in the polluted waters of the Seine.

The organization noted, “The athletes who will be taking part in the Olympic and Paralympic events planned for the Seine will be swimming in polluted water and taking significant risks to their health.”

A website has been created for the protest movement using the hashtag as its name and prominently features Macron and Mayor Hidalgo, stating, “After putting us in sh-t, it’s up to them to bathe in our sh-t.”

Along with expressing doubts about the river’s safety for swimming, Parisians also voice their security concerns about hosting Olympic events along the Seine and the capacity of the city’s transportation system during the Olympics.

Some also questioned the allocation of funds for the Olympics amid poverty in areas like L’Île-Saint-Denis, located entirely on a Seine island. In recent weeks, a large number of protesters flooded the streets of the city, demanding improved wages.

Unions have issued warnings of potential strikes during the Olympics if workers required to work on holidays during the games are not adequately reimbursed.

According to BuzzFeed, some demonstrators were observed burning the Olympic emblem to show their discontent. However, Olympic organizers contend that hosting events in such areas allows for targeted investment in local communities.