Members of an elite tactical unit of the French national police protect the Olympic flame, carried aboard the French 19th-century ship Belem, on its journey to France. The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (NGIG) undertakes missions encompassing counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance, protection of government officials, and targeting organized crime.

The highly protected Olympic flame arrived at the Old Port of Marseille, in Southern France, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Eleven thousand torchbearers will form a relay to celebrate the arrival of the Games in France, culminating in Paris on July 26, 2024.