Today, the roughly 230 open-air booksellers, stationed along the Seine for about two miles, make up the largest open-air book market in Europe.
About 170 of the stalls will be required to close for at least two weeks during the Paris Games, according to a copy of a document that city officials showed bouquinistes at a meeting last month.
After the empty arenas of the Olympics in Tokyo, postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and in Beijing in 2022, organizers in Paris are aiming to bring back grandeur to the Games, which begin July 26.
In Paris, with its perfectly preserved mid-19th-century facades, there is more concern about preserving traditions and elements of the city during the Olympic Games than in other cities.
The city allows bouquinistes to sell rent-free, but some have had to resort to selling cheap souvenirs rather than books to earn a living.
Persons:
Tony Travers
Organizations:
Paris Games, Eiffel, Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Paris police, Olympic Games, London School of Economics
Locations:
Europe, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Versailles, London, East London, bouquinistes