Saccage 2024 is a left-of-center anti-Olympic Games coalition based in Saint-Denis, Paris, France. The group specifically protests the 2024 Olympic Games which will be held in Paris, claiming that the event causes “ecological and social destruction.” ¹

Saccage 2024 is aiming to disrupt the 2024 Olympic Games by recruiting fake volunteers. The fake volunteers are intended to apply for a position to work during the Olympic Games with an intent to pull out from their responsibilities just before the Games begin. ²

Background

Saccage 2024, which translates roughly to Destruction 2024, is a French anti-Olympic Games protest group based in Saint-Denis, Paris. The group, which is comprised of residents of Saint-Denis and other “associations and collectives,” claims that the 2024 Olympic Games, which will be held at the Stade de France in Paris, causes “ecological and social destruction.” The group also states that the Olympic Games are “games of fools against the interest of the inhabitants.” ³

Saccage 2024 also claims that the Olympic Games are causing “unbreathable neighborhoods,” and making them unaffordable and overly policed. Saccage 2024 also complains that the Games have caused the “establishment of large brands.” ⁴

Activities

Saccage 2024 organized a “weekend of international anti-Olympic meetings” on May 21 and May 22, 2022, in Saint-Denis. The program for the meetings consisted of various topics including the alleged “ecological destruction and Olympic greenwashing,” and the policing of the Olympics and how it “could be used to set up or test the control of populations.” ⁵

Saccage 2024 is also aiming to disrupt the 2024 Olympic Games by recruiting fake volunteers. The fake volunteers will apply for a position to work during the Olympic Games but pull out from their responsibilities just before the Games begin. ⁶

Organizers of the games are aiming to recruit 45,000 volunteers for the event and will perform background checks on volunteers to ensure the “sincerity” of those applying. Some volunteer roles will require interviews, while other candidates will have to prove their motivation for volunteering. ⁷

According to a report by Reuters, Saccage 2024 stated that it would not reveal how many fake volunteers had already signed up, but interest in the scheme rose after French President Emmanuel Macron signed into law pension reforms that raised the state pension age from 62 to 64, without a final vote in the country’s parliament, and after three months of protests. ^{8 9}

One Saccage 2024 member who signed up to volunteer stated that “volunteering is supposed to be for the common good” claiming that the Olympic Games is not, adding that “it does not have charitable aims.” ¹⁰

French police raided the headquarters of the Olympic Games organizers in June 2023, as part of corruption investigations into contracts related to the games. Two investigations are being held regarding the organizers; one from 2017 is investigating suspected embezzlement of public funds, while the other investigation, started in 2022, focuses on a suspected conflict of interest involving several contracts related to the games. ¹¹

Saccage 2024 stated that it was “very pleased” about the raids, claiming in a statement that “an event of Olympic proportions cannot be held without corruption,” adding that the size of the event made it so, no matter what country was hosting it. ¹²

1. “Saccages ?.” Non au Saccage 2024 ! . July 17, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://saccage2024-noblogs-org.translate.goog/les-jop2024-et-ses-saccages?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
2. “Fake volunteers hope to disrupt Paris Olympics.” Reuters. April 26, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/sports/fake-volunteers-hope-disrupt-paris-olympics-2023-04-26/.
3. “Saccages ?.” Non au Saccage 2024 ! . July 17, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://saccage2024-noblogs-org.translate.goog/les-jop2024-et-ses-saccages?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
4. “Notre lutte.” Non au Saccage 2024 ! . July 17, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://saccage2024.noblogs.org/a-propos.
5. “Saccage 2024 Hosts International Anti-Olympic Meeting on May 21-22 in Seine-Saint-Denis (France).” No Olympics LA. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://nolympicsla.com/2022/05/05/saccage-2024-hosts-international-anti-olympic-meeting-on-may-21-22-in-seine-saint-denis-france/.
6. ^[1] “Fake volunteers hope to disrupt Paris Olympics.” Reuters. April 26, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/sports/fake-volunteers-hope-disrupt-paris-olympics-2023-04-26/.
7. “Fake volunteers hope to disrupt Paris Olympics.” Reuters. April 26, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/sports/fake-volunteers-hope-disrupt-paris-olympics-2023-04-26/.
8. “Fake volunteers hope to disrupt Paris Olympics.” Reuters. April 26, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/sports/fake-volunteers-hope-disrupt-paris-olympics-2023-04-26/.
9. Armstrong, Kathyrn. “France pension reforms: Macron signs pension age rise to 64 into law.” BBC News. April 15, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65279818.
10. “Fake volunteers hope to disrupt Paris Olympics.” Reuters. April 26, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/sports/fake-volunteers-hope-disrupt-paris-olympics-2023-04-26/.
11. Charlton, Angela. “Paris 2024 Olympics HQ searched in third consecutive Summer Games scandal.” AP News. June 20, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-2024-corruption-investigation-f7efd8f363c76ee92c0c6e9fffd5b302.
12. Charlton, Angela. “Paris 2024 Olympics HQ searched in third consecutive Summer Games scandal.” AP News. June 20, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-2024-corruption-investigation-f7efd8f363c76ee92c0c6e9fffd5b302.