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Despite the corona pandemic, around 2,500 people celebrated New Year’s Eve at an illegal rave in northwestern France. When the police wanted to end the party, they are said to have been violently attacked and initially evicted. The last party goers did not leave the venue until Saturday morning. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced harsh sentences on Twitter.
According to the Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture, five people were arrested and 1,200 high tax warnings were issued. They were mainly distributed for violations of the mask requirement and night curfew, illegal participation in a meeting and possession of drugs. Interior Minister Darmanin said the investigation into the case is ongoing. Therefore, generators, loudspeakers and a truck were confiscated.
As early as Thursday evening, people had gathered at an industrial site south of the Breton city of Rennes. According to the prefecture, guests from other French departments and even from abroad were also attracted to the disused hangar in Lieuron.
Law enforcement officials tried to stop the party and faced violence from some of the celebrators. A police vehicle was set on fire during the riots. Three more were also damaged. Bottles and stones were thrown. Three police officers were reportedly injured during the operation.
Security forces were on duty at the facility for hours. They secured the area and distributed disinfectants and masks. Access to the party was stopped before midnight, as Interior Minister Darmanin wrote. The exit of the cars was controlled, the warnings were issued in a systematic way. As the French news agency AFP reported, several people still celebrated at the rave on Friday night.
The illegal party didn’t end until Saturday morning. According to French media reported, the sound was cut off early in the morning and the system was dismantled. In the morning, the national gendarmerie announced on Twitter that the party was over. According to the prefecture, the area was under the control of emergency services around 10 a.m.
Due to the corona pandemic, strict contact restrictions apply in France. According to a government recommendation, no more than six adults should meet at home on New Year’s Eve. The night curfew also prohibits leaving the house between 8 pm and 6 am without a valid reason.
The pandemic hit France hard with its almost 67 million inhabitants. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 64,800 people died and about 2.6 million were infected with the coronavirus.
In this tense health situation, the illegal mass party provoked outrage. Deputy Florian Bachelier wrote on Twitter that the assembly “shames our country, our nurses who have been on duty for months, our dead.”
Deputy Aurore Bergé also said on Twitter: “It cannot be that a handful of people will let us pay for their inconsistency.” She asked for systematic checks and warnings.
The Breton health authority urged the guests to the party to isolate themselves and get tested immediately. A test center has been established in Lieuron, as the prefecture wrote. Encourage participants in the illegal celebration to visit the test site. “You risked your life, your health; now we have to protect the people around them. “
