Alarm in France after 2,500 attend illegal New Year rave

LIEURON, France: About 2,500 partygoers attended an illegal New Year rave in northwestern France, violently clashing with police who failed to stop it and sparking concern the underground event could spread the coronavirus, authorities said on Friday (Jan 1).

The revellers had set up the illegal rave in Lieuron south of Rennes in Brittany after skirmishes with police, said a statement from the local prefecture. Many were still on the site Friday as a sanitary cordon was thrown up around it.

Local gendarmes tried "prevent this event but faced fierce hostility from many partygoers" who set one of their cars of fire and threw bottles and stones, it said.

Those present had come from across France and even abroad, it said.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter that partygoers were issued with fines as they left the site and organisers were being identified and would be prosecuted.

The Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture said on Twitter that 450 fines had been handed out for attending an illegal party, breaking curfew and not wearing masks. Local health authorities urged partygoers to self-isolate for seven days.

READ: COVID-19 - France imposes earlier curfew in 15 departments from Saturday

Such mass gatherings are strictly prohibited across France to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and a nationwide 8pm curfew - which was not lifted for New Year - applies across the country.

Reports said that the rave party took place in an empty warehouse belonging to a storage company.

Prosecutors in Rennes have opened a probe into the illegal organisation of a musical event and violence against persons of authority, the prefecture said on Saturday after the clashes.

A police car caught fire and three others were damaged, the prefecture said. Partygoers threw bottles and rocks at police, and several officers suffered minor injuries.

LITTLE SOCIAL DISTANCING

Participants interviewed by AFP said that the revellers had included partygoers from foreign countries, including Spain and Britain.

One participant, who gave his name as Jo from the Alsace region of eastern France and refused to be identified further, said they had all met at a meeting point on Thursday evening in the parking lot of a shopping centre.

Then the convoy headed for Lieuron where the police tried to prevent them from passing, he said.

He acknowledged that "very few had respected social distancing" at the event, which was supposed only to end later on Saturday.

READ: Under fire, France pledges speedier COVID-19 vaccination rollout

French authorities have been particularly concerned about mass wildcat rave parties throughout the pandemic but New Year's night was a particular concern.

In the southern city of Marseille, security forces halted an illegal party grouping about 300 people, police said. More than 150 people were warned and the three suspected organisers have been arrested.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that 132,000 police had been deployed across France for the New Year celebrations to ensure security and that the curfew was respected.

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