French president: 3,000 extra staff hired for Euro security

PARIS – French President Francois Hollande says private security firms have hired an additional 3,000 people for the European Championship soccer tournament.

After last week’s Brussels attacks that killed at least 35 people, French authorities decided to continue with Euro 2016 from June 10-July 10 as planned, including the fan zones where spectators gather to watch games on large screens.

Hollande said 2.5 million people are expected to attend the matches in 10 French cities, and about 5 million are expected to visit the open-air areas.

Referring to the high risks of attacks, Hollande said in a speech to sports professionals in Paris that “we must show that sport, like culture, like our lifestyle, will not yield to this pressure and this threat.”