Les Vans, a small Ardèche village, located a few kilometers from the borders of Gard and Lozère, does not often make the headlines.
This corner of the Cévennes is known for its calm, its abundant nature, its generous sunshine, or its pélardon, the local goat cheese.
Last Saturday, the tranquility was disturbed there by an unusual gathering of revelers not applying any barrier gestures.
At the same time as the controversial "Carnival of Marseille", the village was the epicenter of another party "
organized by the inhabitants of the area for the inhabitants of the area (sic) in order to fight in [their] way against Covid-19
”
,
and to celebrate“
the 9th international day of happiness
”.
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About 2000 people - mostly young people in disguise - gathered, without masks or distance.
The event, presented as
"protest"
had been authorized as a demonstration by the prefecture.
However, it had more the characteristics of a festival.
A concert by singer HK was organized.
The djembes, the wooden games and the signs "And m **** we have only one life" were out.
Two days later, coincidentally, the municipal council was organized in the village.
Hangover atmosphere for elected officials.
"
It's gone a little in all directions,
recognizes the mayor.
Sanitary measures have not been mastered.
But how do you control all these people?
I am incapable of it ...
”lamented the chief magistrate, himself seriously affected last May by the Covid.
City councilors unanimously deplore the inaction of the police.
“Some residents tell us that they took a PV because they did not have the mask on the street on market day.
And yet during this demonstration, there was no control ... “
regrets another municipal councilor.
“The gendarmes passed by.
And they did not even pretend to stop ”
, underlines the 2nd deputy, ulcerated.
"
No, we are not anti-masks, we are for the freedom of everyone to make their choice, to be informed, to wear the mask or not, to be vaccinated or not ...
", explains the organizer on Facebook.
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The case could end there.
But according to social media posts, it looked like organizers were planning to make the party a weekly fixture.
"
I asked the prefect what to do for the next time ...",
confided, worried, the mayor to his municipal council ... In the event of a new party on Saturday, the gendarmes should be present in number .
"
Insofar as gatherings of this type are prohibited, everything will be done by the State services so that this event does not happen again next weekend and the following ones"
, indicated to us the prefecture of the 'Ardèche.
"Come, but without weapon, without hatred, without violence, come sing and dance with us the new world which is emerging little by little ..."
, initially retorted the organizer on Facebook.
But this Thursday evening, he asks the question: "
It is very likely that the atmosphere at Les Vans is much less pleasant than last week ... and that suddenly our super Saturday will be moved to a quieter place ...
" , he explains in a new message.
For the moment no request has been filed with the prefecture.