Olympic host country France sees less New Year’s Eve disorder as it celebrates 2024’s arrival

PARIS (AP) — France’s interior minister says the Olympic host country saw fewer of the car burnings that usually blight the arrival of a new year as it celebrated the start of 2024. Gerald Darmanin said Monday that the 380 arrests made nationwide overnight was a 10% drop compared with a year ago. He said authorities counted 745 vehicle fires, 10% fewer than last year. Law enforcement authorities had been eager to prove that 2024’s arrival could be celebrated without a major security crisis as they gear up for the Summer Games that open in Paris on July 26. Authorities had vowed that New Year’s Eve security would be tight across France, with 90,000 law enforcement officers deployed.