At least five people were arrested and more than 1,200 fines issued after French police put an end to an illegal rave party in Lieuron near Rennes in Brittany. The New Year’s rave party attracted over 2,500 people since the time it began on Thursday, sparking fears of a spread of the Coronavirus, as the party was in complete violation of social distancing norms and defied curfews put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some revelers reportedly intended to party well into Tuesday before their plans were foiled when police raided the warehouse. Some party goers clashed with the police and set fire to a vehicle, even as police seized trucks carrying sound equipment, turntables, speaker and a generator. At least three police personnel were reported to have been injured in the clashes.

Gèrald Darmanin, French Interior Minister took to twitter saying, “More than 1,200 notices have been issued to participants of the illegal rave party in Lieuron.”

He further informed, “The Gendarmerie have so far identified 1,225 COVID related offences (not wearing masks + gathering after curfew), as well as 420 other offences including 225 related to narcotics.”

The crackdown was led by the Gendarmerie who said they were trying to identify the organizers, and that checks were continuing on the site itself as well as the main road.

* Feature image: Representational image by Yann Caradec via Wikimedia Commons.