PARIS (AP) – Ravers at an underground New Year’s Eve raid party that attracted at least 2,500 people in western France attacked police to shut them down and set fire to one of their vehicles, injuring officers with bursts of bottles and stones. said officials Friday.
Ravers aboard hundreds of vehicles began gathering at hangars in Lieuron, Brittany on Thursday night to celebrate the New Year, the regional government said in a statement on Friday.
Police and their vehicles were attacked when they tried to stop the robbers from installing their party equipment.
Some officers sustained minor injuries, the statement said. On Friday morning, 2,500 robbers from France and abroad were still partying, surrounded by a reinforced police presence. Emergency workers distributed masks and hand gels to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Prosecutors are investigating a variety of possible criminal charges. The party also took place despite France’s nationwide evening clock at 8pm to 6pm aimed at staging public gatherings during the pandemic.
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