Thumping techno music echoed across a vast firing range near the central French town of Bourges on Saturday as approximately 20,000 partygoers gathered for an illegal rave, defying warnings about the risk of possible explosions from old ordnance.
Unauthorised Event Draws Massive Crowd
The unauthorised event, known as a 'free party', began on Friday and attracted revellers dressed in brightly coloured outfits, many shirtless, who danced to the pounding beats. Behind them, tents and vans stretched across the grassy field of the military site, which is used for live-fire exercises.
Organizers had expected as many as 30,000 people from France and neighbouring countries to arrive at the peak of the event this weekend. The gathering comes as the French parliament seeks to tighten legislation against unauthorised rave parties, introducing prison sentences for organisers and fines for attendees.
Safety Concerns Ignored
Despite the illegal nature of the event, the government mobilised to ensure safety and limit disturbances, according to the prefecture. However, Philippe Le Moing Surzur, the local prefect, warned that the site was 'extremely dangerous due to the unexploded ordnance it may contain'.
While modern shells posed no threat, he highlighted the risk from older unexploded ordnance dating back to World War II. The prefect noted that even the Directorate General of Armaments, which owns the land, did not have precise knowledge of the risks. 'This is a site that has been in use for 150 years, and we know there are potentially old artillery shells there,' he said, adding that bomb disposal experts discover them regularly.
Site Description and Precautions
The firing range covers 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) and is crisscrossed by roads that are closed during tests but open to the public at other times. Signs prohibit access to the range itself, but it is not fenced. Organisers urged attendees to refrain from lighting fires, digging, or picking up any objects.
The prefect said some 2,000 cars arrived unannounced on Thursday night, making the situation unmanageable. To prepare for any eventuality, authorities designated helicopter landing zones. 'This is clearly the only solution, since I don't have the means to forcibly remove 20,000 people from this site,' he stated.
Injuries and Protest
Emergency services treated 12 people with minor injuries on Saturday morning, including one person struck by a vehicle and several who cut themselves on sharp shrapnel. For many revellers, the giant party was not only a chance to unwind but also a protest against the rave-curbing legislation. 'It's a way of showing that participants are mobilised and will keep coming, whatever happens, and will continue to challenge these laws,' a member of the Tekno Anti Rep collective told AFP.
