Paris police cordon off the Seine before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games

PARIS (AP) — An iron curtain fell over downtown Paris on Thursday: With the opening of an Olympic anti-terror perimeter along the Seine, a mile-long area was closed to Parisians and tourists who had not applied for a pass in advance.

On everyone’s lips was the word “QR code,” the pass that allowed access behind the winding metal barriers that marked the security zone set up to protect the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26.

Those who had the valuable code – either on their phone or printed on a piece of paper – easily passed police checkpoints through gaps in the barriers that are higher than most people.

Those who did not have the code were mostly turned away – no amount of grumbling or persuasion could get the officials to take action.

The closure came into force early Thursday morning and will remain in place throughout the ceremony. Exceptionally, Paris has decided to hold the opening ceremony on the river rather than in a stadium, as has been the case with previous host venues. Most security measures on the river will be lifted after the ceremony.

Officers were instructed to be polite and accommodating as employees were on their way to work and others were encountering the site for the first time.

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