It was a great relief for Paris’ mayor to jump into the Seine and emerge unscathed, as many had threatened to piss in the river in protest.
In an attempt to convince her fellow Parisians that the Seine is clean enough to hold outdoor swim competitions and the Olympic opening ceremonies, Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a brief plunge into the renowned river.
Take a look at the pictures. Trying her hardest, Hidalgo Making her way through the turbulent river water in her wetsuit, Katie Ledecky is closely followed by a few other high-ranking Paris officials
Amidst threats last month by French demonstrators to use the river as their personal lavatory, Hidalgo assured the gathered journalists that the water is pleasant and refreshing and, above all, completely clean for the upcoming Olympics that begin on Friday.
ICYMI, protesters announced they planned a feces demonstration, claiming they would take dumps in the river to stick it to their leaders, after Hidalgo and French President Emmanuel Macron, who did not attend the swim, offered to swim in the river to ensure it was safe enough for competitors.
The hashtag “jechiedanslaSeine”— “I’m pooping in the Seine”— trended on X, and a website advised French citizens living outside of Paris when to throw their waste into the river so their “gifts” would reach the lawmakers on time. Hidalgo ultimately decided to postpone her swim due to the country’s recent snap elections, though we’re sure the excrement fanatics didn’t help.
As an aside, the Eau de Paris monitoring group has been testing the water for months and recently reported that there was a hazardous level of E. coli present, which is why the pol fell. Since they were initially revealed in early June, according to NBC News, these levels have improved.
All right, Mayor Hidalgo might be pissed off after her swim, but at least she doesn’t smell!