In silence, more than a hundred nightclub managers from all over Brittany gathered this Wednesday afternoon in Rennes.

-

J. Gicquel / 20 Minutes

  • The nightlife gathered in Rennes this Wednesday afternoon.

  • In complete disarray, the managers of nightclubs are asking the Government for financial aid.

  • They also feel neglected with no reopening date that has not yet been set.

They came from all over Brittany, all dressed in black.

Like their mood for more than six months and the start of the health crisis.

In silence, more than a hundred nightclub managers gathered this Wednesday afternoon on the town hall square in Rennes to shout their dismay.

“All the other shops, bars and restaurants have reopened, but we haven't” protested Dominic Rousseau, owner of the Stanley in Saint-Grégoire near Rennes and spokesperson for the Ille-et-Vilaine nightclub collective.

Patrons of nightclubs from all over Brittany demonstrate in silence in #Rennes to alert on the catastrophic situation of the profession @ 20Minutes pic.twitter.com/uoNbYsoCTt

- Jérôme Gicquel (@jgicquel) September 23, 2020

Without any cash flow since mid-March, they all fear for the survival of their business.

“We are dying in general indifference, denounces Eric Le Merrer, manager of Sambahia in Paimpol (Côtes-d'Armor).

I no longer have any income but I have to continue to pay the rent, the fixed charges.

And you have to fill the fridge also at home and repay the credits ”.

Financial but also psychological distress

During the summer, the Government had however announced aid for the nightlife.

But to believe Dominic Rousseau, they are slow to arrive.

"This jeopardizes all the cash flow of our establishments and if it continues, it will be a slaughter," he says, referring to the figure of 300 nightclubs which have thus already filed for bankruptcy due to the epidemic of Covid-19.

For these bosses, the distress is not just financial.

"The whole profession is bruised and weakened, some no longer sleep", emphasizes Dominic Rousseau.

Manager of the Etrier in Saint-Quay-Portrieux (Côtes-d'Armor), Eric Martin feels “useless”.

"I want to work but I don't have the right to do so," he laments.

"We have no horizon"

In the most total vagueness, the owners of discotheques also and above all expect the Government to take an interest in their fate.

“We really have the impression that they don't care about us,” sighs Eric Le Merrer.

For the time being, no reopening date has in fact been set even if some people say it will be closed until April 2021. “How do you want us to see ourselves in the future?

We have no horizon ”, underlines Dominic Rousseau, who hopes like all his colleagues“ that the night quickly reclaims its rights ”.

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  • Trade

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Reindeer

  • Nightclub

  • Anger

  • Society

  • Nightclub