Published 13:53 IST, January 2nd 2021
France cracks illegal New Year rave of 2,500 amid COVID-19, mob confronts police
As France police raided the illegal event and attempted to shut down the rave, they were met with hostilities and violent confrontations broke out at the venue.
Despite strict COVID-19 restrictions and a national night curfew to curb the new variant infections, as many as 2,500 attended an illegal New Year's rave party in France, raising alarm among the law enforcement and health authorities. While the police officers raided the site and attempted to shut down the rave, they were met with hostilities and violent confrontations broke out between the cops and the party-goers. According to a statement by France’s police, cited by local broadcasters, the police imposed a strict 8 pm COVID curfew and forbid people to gather. However, a large crowd gathered in France’s Marseille and Brittany to celebrate the new year, scrambling officers to action.
According to the sources of Euronews, Police cracked a party where 2,500 including local residents from Brittany and abroad had assembled to celebrate the new year. As law enforcement officers tried to disperse the crowd, they were attacked with stones and empty bottles in Lieuron, the prefecture in Ille-et-Vilaine said in a statement. The angry mob also set a police vehicle ablaze in Lieuron, south of Rennes. The authorities expressed concerns as the underground event posed risks of the super spreader event.
As the authorities attempted to crack down on the event, skirmishes broke out. Officers enforced a sanitary cordon around the site confining the mob within the venue. According to sources of France 24 present on the ground, party makers had gathered at an empty warehouse run by a storage company, discreetly, and the police were called in after locals reported loud blaring techno music and several motorcades parked in the area.
Read: All Passengers From UK To Be Tested For COVID-19 On Arrival Between Jan 8-Jan 30: Health Ministry
Officers identify Spain and Britain citizens
According to French reporters, the crowd did not adhere to the health safety measures such as social distancing and masks and mixed without caution. Among the crowd, officers identified citizens from Spain and Britain who had travelled to attend the celebration. Another event in France’s southern city of Marseille was also dispersed by the police officers around the same time, according to several reports. France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin had deployed nearly 100,000 police and gendarmes across the country to ensure that the 8 pm curfew was lawfully adhered to.
(Images Credit: Twitter/@bretagnegouv)
Updated 13:53 IST, January 2nd 2021