A group calling itself the Annecy Anti-Olympic Committee issued a press release Monday saying that it now has 13,140 names on a petition against Annecy 2018’s bid, and is collecting more names daily protesting Annecy’s bid.
The press release says Annecy’s bid was launched without the local population being consulted or involved. “The reality is that much of the population does not want these Games and we are determined to act to make ourselves heard”, said Khaled Dehgan, President of an environmental NGO.
“Those responsible for the nomination are trying to pretend that the entire population supports the project but it is totally wrong. More than 13,140 people signed our petition, which is considerable for a small city of 60,000 inhabitants as Annecy. The number is growing every day and our actions are attracting more and more people”.
The group says that according to a survey conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last December, only 51 per cent of city residents are in favour of the bid, calling it the lowest score in the history of nominations for the Winter Games since IOC polls were made public.
In the press release the group says it “denounces a project financially disproportionate to our small city when so many people’s daily needs are not met. Moreover, despite official discourse, the project as designed will seriously affect the fragile ecological balance of our territory. All the Green parties are also against the bid, we condemn also accounting opacity and amateurism of its leaders.
“After Edgar Grospiron resignation in December, and in absence of qualified personalities to take over, Charles Beigbeder was nominated: a Parisian, from small finance world without any link with Haute Savoie, without any knowledge in Sports or Olympics”.
Philippe Metral Boffod, an Annecy councillor said in the press release, “today, thousands Annecy inhabitants have enough of this show and financial mismanagement of this application. We are more than ever determined to oppose this project and have scheduled a number of actions in the coming weeks to be heard by IOC members”.
