Covid-busting French rave enters second night
02 January, 2021
An against the law rave breaking coronavirus lockdown orders has entered its second night in France with police struggling to break it up.
The sound of techno music could still be heard from the party venue on Friday evening, though police had managed to prevent any newcomers from joining the party.
About 2,500 partygoers kicked off the rave in Lieuron, north-western France, for New Year’s Eve, and police clashed, quite often violently, with ravers after failing to stop it from going ahead.
"Police controls are taking place around the website. Verbal warnings are staying directed at everyone leaving," the police said.
Local gendarmes had tried to "prevent this event but faced fierce hostility from many partygoers" who set one of their cars of fire and threw bottles and stones, the statement stated.
Those present had result from across France and even abroad, it said.
Interior ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaize said there have been "great hostility, great violence" against police, without indicating when they would enter the rave site.
Such mass gatherings are prohibited across France to avoid the spread of Covid-19, and a nationwide 8pm curfew, which was not lifted for New Year, applies in the united states.
French media reported that the rave occurred within an empty warehouse owned by a storage company.
Prosecutors have opened a study into the rave and the violence against police.
Vehicles registered from all over France were still parked in the site Friday.
One participant, who gave his name as Jo from the Alsace region of eastern France and refused to come to be identified further, said they had all met at a designated location in the automobile park of a shopping centre over Thursday.
Therefore, the convoy headed for Lieuron, where in fact the police tried to avoid them from passing, he said.
He acknowledged that "very few had respected public distancing" at the function.
French authorities have already been concerned about mass rave functions throughout the pandemic, but New Year's night was a particular concern.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that 132,000 police have been deployed across France for the brand new Year celebrations to make sure security and that the curfew was respected.
Mr Darmanin said on Twitter on Friday that he was dealing with local officials at night "on re-establishing a standard situation" while keeping persons safe.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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