French police broke up a rave in northwestern France on Saturday that had been going on since New Year’s Eve, citing curfew violations and COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings.
The rave, which was held at a warehouse in Lieuron, France, boasted a crowd of around 2,500 people, according to Reuters. (RELATED: First Case Of Mutant Coronavirus Strain Detected In France)
More than 2,500 people took part in an illegal rave in northern France, despite the country’s curfew to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic
The event was shut down by police after arrests and clashes, in which at least three officers were injuredhttps://t.co/m9srgMce9A pic.twitter.com/crpw7zw2PV
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 2, 2021
Several of the partygoers clashed with the police on Thursday, causing the police to wait for reinforcements before deciding to move in to stop the party. The clash between partygoers and the police resulted in guests throwing objects, several police officers getting injured, and a police car being set on fire, BBC reported.
Emmanuel Berthier, head of the Ille-et Vilanine prefecture, explained that 800 people had been punished for attending the rave, breaking curfew, and not wearing their masks. Meanwhile, the remaining people were given notices for illegal drugs.
More than 1,200 people who attended the party were given warnings, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter. In addition, the organizers of the party will be pursued he wrote.
+ de 1200 verbalisations sont mises aux participants de la #raveparty illégale de #Lieuron. Les gendarmes continuent les contrôles et poursuivent les organisateurs.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) January 2, 2021
A new coronavirus mutation, first found in the U.K., was discovered last week in France.