Around 20,000 partygoers gathered on Saturday for an illegal rave at a military site in France, defying warnings about the risk of possible explosions from old ordnance.<\/p>\n
Thumping techno music echoed across a vast firing range near the central French town of Bourges as revellers — many dressed in brightly coloured outfits, others shirtless — assembled for the unauthorised event, known as a “free party”, which began on Friday.<\/p>\n
Behind them, tents and vans stretched across the grassy field.<\/p>\n
Organisers expected as many as 30,000 people from France and neighbouring countries to arrive at the peak of the event this weekend.<\/p>\n
The get-together comes as French parliament is seeking to tighten legislation against unauthorised rave parties, introducing prison sentences for organisers and fines for attendees.<\/p>\n
“Despite its illegal nature, the government has mobilised to ensure the safety of this event and limit any disturbances,” the prefecture said.<\/p>\n
Philippe Le Moing Surzur, the local prefect, said the site was “extremely dangerous due to the unexploded ordnance it may contain”.<\/p>\n
While modern shells posed no threat, he warned of the risk from older unexploded ordnance dating back to World War II.<\/p>\n
– Old artillery shells –<\/p>\n
He said that even the France’s Directorate General of Armaments, which owns the land, did not have precise knowledge of the risks.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Signs prohibit access to the range itself, but it is not fenced.<\/p>\n
The organisers have urged attendees to refrain from lighting fires, digging or picking up any objects.<\/p>\n
The prefect said some 2,000 cars arrived unannounced on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
“It’s unmanageable when you don’t know in advance,” he said.<\/p>\n
To prepare for any eventuality, authorities designated helicopter landing zones, he said.<\/p>\n
“This is clearly the only solution, since I don’t have the means to forcibly remove 20,000 people from this site.”<\/p>\n
Emergency services treated 12 people with minor injuries Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
The prefect said one person was struck by a vehicle, and a number of the injured people cut themselves while handling sharp shrapnel.<\/p>\n
Revellers see the giant party not only as a chance to unwind, but also as a protest against the rave-curbing legislation.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
– ‘Message against repression’ –<\/p>\n
A free party is usually an illegal form of rave rooted in anti-establishment culture.<\/p>\n
They are held without permission in remote locations, and admission is free or by donation.<\/p>\n
“I had heard there were going to be a lot of people, but once you’re there, it’s still a shock to see so many people gathered in one place,” a 22-year-old man said on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
Another partygoer, 19, also anonymous, said the turnout was “a strong message against repression”.<\/p>\n
Around 600 police and 45 firefighters have been deployed at the site.<\/p>\n
“We’re getting ready for a big get-together tonight,” said Edith Raquin, the mayor of Cornusse, a village of 220 people located less than two kilometres (about one mile) from the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said that revellers came across as “peaceful people” and some elderly residents were “delighted” to talk with them.<\/p>\n
“They are polite, they say hello,” Raquin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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