Illegal rave draws 20,000 to ‘dangerous’ military site in France

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 authorities. (AFP)

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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.

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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.

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Behind them, tents and vans stretched across the grassy field.

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Organizers expected as many as 30,000 people from France and neighbouring countries to arrive at the peak of the event this weekend.

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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.

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“Despite its illegal nature, the government has mobilised to ensure the safety of this event and limit any disturbances,” the prefecture said.

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Philippe Le Moing Surzur, the local prefect, said the site was “extremely dangerous due to the unexploded ordnance it may contain”.

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While modern shells posed no threat, he warned of the risk from older unexploded ordnance dating back to World War II.

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Old artillery shells

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He said that even the France’s Directorate General of Armaments, which owns the land, did not have precise knowledge of the risks.

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“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.

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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.

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Signs prohibit access to the range itself, but it is not fenced.

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The organisers have urged attendees to refrain from lighting fires, digging or picking up any objects.

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The prefect said some 2,000 cars arrived unannounced on Thursday night.

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“It’s unmanageable when you don’t know in advance,” he said.

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To prepare for any eventuality, authorities designated helicopter landing zones, he said.

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“This is clearly the only solution, since I don’t have the means to forcibly remove 20,000 people from this site.”

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Emergency services treated 12 people with minor injuries Saturday morning.

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The prefect said one person was struck by a vehicle, and a number of the injured people cut themselves while handling sharp shrapnel.

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Revellers see the giant party not only as a chance to unwind, but also as a protest against the rave-curbing legislation.

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“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.