France: 6,500 young people flood Marseilles to celebrate Carnival despite bans

Dressed in gorillas, flowers or even… doctors, nearly 6,500 people celebrated the carnival in Marseille, in southern France, despite an outbreak of pandemic in the country that forced the government to step up restrictive measures.

About 6,500 people celebrated carnival Sunday in the center of Marseille, an unauthorized and “not responsible” gathering lamented the police headquarters. /polemique-autour-d-un-carnaval-non-declare-a-marseille-2009461.html (© E.ZINI / FTV)

Posted by France 3 Provence-Alpes on Sunday, March 21, 2021

The police regretted this outdoor party, which did not have the permission of the authorities, especially because most of the young carnivalgoers did not wear protective masks and did not keep their distance.

Thousands of masquerades paraded and danced in the afternoon a short distance from La Cannabier, the city’s main boulevard.

“Young people are tired of being locked up at home. “There are no vulnerable old people here, only young people,” said Romen, 26, who was apparently excited, dressed as a baker but wearing a Zinedine Zidane shirt under his apron. “I have a lot of friends who go to Madrid, where everything is open and it’s nice to see that,” said Kentin, a 26-year-old specialist who wore a lion mask. Last year, the Marseille carnival was canceled due to restrictive measures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB9lwzgBAnY

“There are about 6,500 people. It is an event that was not announced and which we do not consider at all a responsible action, since the distances are not observed. “We are conducting peripheral checks of the concentration, mainly for the use of a mask, and we are making oral recommendations,” the police told the French Agency.

The new austerity measures came into force on Saturday in 16 regions of France, including Paris, due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Marseille is not included in the areas under strict surveillance, such as neighboring Nice, but measures such as the mandatory use of a mask and the banning of large gatherings still apply.

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