French police break up lockdown-busting three-day rave

A three-day rave held in an abandoned hangar in the north of France ended Saturday morning after police arrived to disperse revelers.

The illegal party — held in Lieuron in Brittany — began on December 31 and extended into the new year, according to Le Monde.

A video taken of the event shows young partygoers dancing to techno music and disregarding social distancing. The official count put the number of revelers on Friday at around 2,500 people.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted that the gathering was broken up without violence. Police issued fines as people left the party, he added.

Darmanin on Friday evening convened a meeting of members of the Cabinet to discuss how to handle the situation.

According to the local prefecture, there had been clashes with authorities, and a police car had been set on fire.

Partygoers interviewed by AFP said they wanted to escape confinement for a little while and to feel free. The organizers of the rave had provided electric blankets and set up food stalls.

Residents of the small village of Lieuron were surprised by the large gathering, with one of them describing it as “surreal.”

Florian Bachelier, a deputy representing the region of Ille-et-Vilaine where Lieuron is located, described the gathering as “shameful” in a tweet.

“The state must restore public order immediately,” he said.

Brittany’s regional health authority, which provided masks and coronavirus tests for the revelers, is advising them to go into self-isolation.