Punishments and outrage after illegal mass party in France

Punishments and outrage after illegal mass party in France

A huge party with thousands of guests, short distance and almost no masks: Despite the corona pandemic, around 2,500 people illegally celebrated New Year’s Eve in northwestern France and kept law enforcement on their toes during day and a half. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote on Twitter on Saturday about the tough sanctions the rave is supposed to entail.

According to the Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture, five people were arrested and 1,200 high tax warnings were issued. They were handed over mainly for violations of the mask requirement and night curfew and illegal participation in a meeting. Interior Minister Darmanin announced that initial investigations are ongoing.

Already on Thursday evening, more and more young people were gathering 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. Three gendarmes were 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 had come to an end. 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. A nightly 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. More than 64,700 people died, about 2.6 million people were infected with the coronavirus.

In the tense health situation, the illegal mass party caused outrage. Deputy Florian Bachelier wrote on Twitter that the meeting “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” and called for systematic controls and warnings.

In addition to outrage, the big event also raised concerns about numerous new infections with the corona virus. The Breton health authority urged the party guests to isolate themselves immediately and get tested. A test center has been established in Lieuron, as the prefecture wrote. Encourage the illegal party participants to visit the test site. (sda / dpa)