An illegal rave that lured more than 2,500 people to a warehouse in western France on New Year’s Eve and continued over the weekend was on Saturday by police in violation of coronavirus restrictions.
Police in Lieuron, about 24 kilometers south of Rennes, have arrested at least seven people – including two who organized the rave in a hangar that lasted more than 36 hours.
The contestants apparently clashed with officers as they tried to finish Saturday morning.
People dance on January 1, 2021 during a party near an unused hangar in Lieuron, about 40 km south of Rennes. A wild party that started on December 31 in Lieuron still gathered about 2,500 participants on January 1. “from different departments and from abroad”, according to a press release from the prefecture Ille-et-Vilaine. (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP) (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP via Getty Images)
Police arrested the organizers on a number of charges after officers found money, illicit drugs and audio equipment. Five additional people were arrested on drug charges.
Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter that more than 1,200 fines had been issued for non-compliance with the coronavirus evening clock.
According to Al Jazeera, participants told authorities that people from Spain and the United Kingdom had joined the festivities.
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State prosecutor Phillipe Astruc said investigations were underway into the “danger to others’ lives”, “deliberate violence” against police and drug-related offenses. Investigators found that organizers had asked for a financial contribution to participate in the party and that there were plenty of drugs available, Astruc said.
Participants allegedly set fire to a police car and injured three officers with projectiles during attempts to shut down the event.
This photo provided by Techno + Association on Saturday, January 2, 2021, shows a tent during a rave party in Lieuron, France, while ravers from France and abroad gathered in a hangar on Thursday night to celebrate the New Year. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Saturday, January 2, 2021, that a forensic investigation had been opened to identify and prosecute organizers of an underground party that drew at least 2,500 people in western France despite a evening clock amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Techno + via AP)
One of the organizers of the rave, identified only as ‘Jo’, admitted according to Sky News that ‘very little respected social distance’.
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People allegedly slept in their cars rather than going home while the rave continued.
The Regional Health Agency of Brittany has warned that party-goers are at high risk of spreading the virus, and has encouraged participants to isolate for a week and do a test within seven days.
France has reported more than 64,000 virus-related deaths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.