Aurillac skirmishes during the Street Theatre Festival – francetv info

Shortly after 6:00 p.m., some 300 festival-goers, infiltrated by a hundred thugs, some hooded, rioted against the security measures imposed for the festival, including the excavations at the entrance to the city center, AFP the Cantal province, confirming a report in La Montagne.

“Between 20 and 30 agitators wanted to force their way in a control queue, causing the festival, disgruntled security devices that slow,” said AFP Mayor Pierre Aurillac Mathonier (PS), present at the scene.

barricades, stone throwing cars, trash fires

the protesters set up barricades, stoned cars , lit trash fires, overturned signs and degraded urban equipment and trade showcase, detailed the gendarmerie. Fifty mobile police then intervened and several politicians, including Pierre Mathonier have started a dialogue with the protesters.

The show Generik Steam “Joyous Deuche” was postponed. “There have been sharp exchanges between rioters and festival, they do not understand their motives to endanger the safety device,” said for his part the AFP chief of staff of the Cantal province, Jean -François Bauvois.

“Everything has been done to allow the festival to take place in good conditions and protect the festival and the artists,” he added. “We know that Daesch attacks the artists and such events.”

Audrey Azoulay, Minister of Culture and Communication, deplored in a statement, “the incidents occurred and reaffirms its support the mayor, the festival and the prefecture services that have made every effort to ensure both the holding of shows and public safety “.

the shows have resumed in the evening

by 8:30 p.m., calm had returned to the center of Aurillac and the shows have resumed, according to the mayor and the prefecture. “The street has taken over his life,” assured Pierre Mathonier. “It has been cleaned immediately in a peaceful climate and families normally circulate,” added the mayor.

Aurillac Street Theatre Festival every year some 100,000 spectators in this quiet prefecture of Cantal. Twenty French and foreign companies, with ten creations are programmed for this “30th edtion bis”.

The festival ends on Saturday August 20th.