PARIS – In a rainy, misty morning, only a few early joggers traverse the banks of the Seine River, where green metal boxes are neatly arranged, filled with second-hand books and souvenirs, quietly awaiting their owners. Despite facing a crisis of removal, George, a 76-year-old bookseller, arrived early, struggling to bend down and unlock the rusty padlock on his box, his hands frozen red.

George is one of the many booksellers along the Seine, whose stall is located near the Pont-Neuf, on the left bank of the river. He has been selling second-hand books along the Seine since 1989. Over the past 34 years, he has refurbished and modified his metal box several times. The bookstall is not just a means of livelihood for George, but also a faithful companion throughout the years.

The Crisis of the Booksellers and the Boxes due to the Olympics

The New York Times reported that the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics opening ceremony will be held on the Seine, taking place outside of a sports venue for the first time in the Games’ history. Thousands of Olympic athletes will parade on 160 boats along the riverbanks, viewed by hundreds of thousands of spectators. This unique opening ceremony format presents logistical and security challenges for the International Olympic Committee and the Paris police, who fear the potential threat of bombs hidden within these bookstalls along the riverbanks. 

On July 25th, the City of Paris and the Prefecture of Police ordered the removal of these stands to make way for the opening ceremony. According to Euronews, Parisian authorities are planning to dismantle and relocate approximately 570 book boxes, accounting for 59% of their total presence along the riverbanks.

George, with a furrowed brow, remarked, " Removing the bookstalls, one of the tourist attractions, not only betrays the cultural heritage along the Seine but also results in a considerable economic loss for the surrounding shops. Additionally, the cost of relocating every box and then rebuilding it after the Olympics is substantial, at least 15,000 euros, which is a significant burden for us. "

The Historical and Cultural Significance of the Bookstalls

The booksellers and their stalls along the Seine, or the bouquinistes in French, have been designated as a protected cultural landscape by UNESCO and are part of the World Heritage Site, "Banks of the Seine." The history of these stalls can be traced back to the 16th century when peddlers used wooden carts and large pockets sewn onto their clothing to sell second-hand books near the Pont-Neuf, laying the foundation for the mobile book stalls. 

It wasn't until the 19th century, with Napoleon's approval, that book stalls were allowed to be set permanently along the Seine, bringing popularity to this trade. To preserve the aesthetics of the Seine's banks, the Paris municipal government established a regulated system in 1859, setting up fixed book stalls and implementing concession rights. According to this tradition, book vendors must use standardized green metal boxes, with only one out of every four boxes allocated for selling souvenirs like coins, medals, old stamps, postcards, refrigerator magnets and Eiffel Tower models, while the other three are to be used for selling old books.

Petition to Protect the Book Stalls

George continues, "While it's not just that the booksellers are unwilling, there is now an online petition against the removal of the bookstalls. So, we are determined to stand our ground."

The petition is titled "Protect the Seine Riverbank Book Stalls" (Sauvegarde des bouquinistes des quais de la Seine). It was posted on the Change.org platform on July 26th, one day after the Prefecture of Police requesting the relocation of the bookstalls, by a user named Hubert BOUCCARA, owner of the La Rose de Java Bookstore in Paris.

The petition quickly gained momentum on social media platforms like Facebook, and as of November 20th, it has garnered 174,731 signatures. The petition reads: "It's hard to imagine the banks of the Seine without the bouquinistes, it's like destroying the soul of Paris." George hopes that the government will hear their plea, particularly since no compensation measures have been offered to the booksellers, leaving them disheartened.

Laurent Martin, professor of history at the Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris 3 University, also expressed his regret over the removal of the book stalls. He noted, " It's true that the image of the quays of the Seine without the booksellers would be degraded. The relocation request would also probably be very negative for these retailers, as they would lose a lot of money in the peak tourist season at a time when their finances are already fragile. But on the other side, it seems that they have won their case with the authorities, and that closure is not on the agenda after all. "

Uncertain Future

Doris, a graduate student majoring in Contemporary Politics and Art Studies, holds a different perspective. She has often frequented these book stalls for literary treasures, but she acknowledges that the forces of globalization and modernization are impacting many traditional cultural practices worldwide, including the bouquinistes in Paris. 

She observes, "In reality, besides used books, some booksellers are selling inexpensive, mass-produced T-shirts and trinkets intended for tourists, products that locals wouldn't purchase. In such a situation, I believe it's not bad to consider practical factors and adapt to the changing times. If the Olympics necessitate the relocation of some book stalls, these booksellers must learn to accept this fate. It might also push them to sell books online, aligning with the digital age."

Faced with the resounding opposition to the removal of book stalls, the City of Paris released an official announcement on September 28th. It mentioned that the Prefecture of Police and the book stall owners had conducted discussions, and the Prefecture pledged to reevaluate the opening ceremony route to ensure that only the boxes deemed absolutely necessary for security reasons would be removed. 

Regarding the relocation of the metal boxes, the Parisian authorities proposed two solutions. One is that, the government takes charge of relocating and restoring the bookstalls, with covering the cost of repairs should the boxes get damaged during transportation. Otherwise, the boxes can remain in place but close seven days before the opening ceremony until the end of the entire Olympic games.

However, these proposals have failed to pacify the discontent among booksellers like George. He exclaims passionately, "Don't we have an attachment to our metal boxes? In any case, I won't compromise with the government. Who knows if such a thing will happen again in the future? The government has no right to make us move."

On the right bank of the Seine, Christian, a 28-year-old bookseller, rushed to his book stall in the afternoon. He casually propped up his metal box and arranged the books with a somewhat nonchalant demeanor. Once the stall was in order, he settled in a corner, took out his phone, and started scrolling through social media, searching for sideline opportunities. "I only started this stall in the summer, it's been about three or four months. But because of the upcoming Olympics next year, there are plans to dismantle these book stalls. While it's not confirmed yet, I need to find a suitable job before that happens," Christian said.

"This is my only job at the moment, without the book stall, I don't know how I would support myself," Christian said, no longer scrolling through his phone. He got up to straighten the crooked price tags hanging on the metal shelves. 

Late autumn had Paris shrouded in continuous drizzles, and the unending gloomy clouds in the sky seemed to hang over booksellers like George and Christian, who still had no clear direction for their future.