a rave party evacuated to Lens, 14 arrests and 4 people in police custody

The police proceeded on Sunday February 26 to evacuate the industrial wasteland of Lens (Pas-de-Calais), where a rave party had been underway since Friday 24, learned franceinfo from the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais. There were 500 people left at the scene at the time of the operation, while up to 2,000 revelers gathered at the height of the event.

The prefect ordered the evacuation at 3 p.m. and the operation lasted about an hour. Some participants “violently defended themselves”and threw projectiles at the police, says the prefecture.

About 200 police officers mobilized

14 people were arrested, four of them were taken into custody, three of whom presented themselves as organizers of the party. Three police officers were injured.

Evacuation of the premises was generally successful “in the calm” according to local residents, quoted by France Bleu Nord. “The CRS get people out, but we don’t feel any aggressiveness, neither on their side, nor on the side of the participants”testified one of them.

The police had been present on the scene since Saturday morning, in particular to secure the site. About 200 law enforcement personnel were mobilized for the operation. They seized 12 sound trucks and equipment. The organizers were expecting up to 10,000 participants at this former disused factory.