The pilgrimage has been held every year for decades, and was to drain the weekend of May 24 and 25 in the small Camargue commune of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, tens of thousands of gypsies from around the world. But this year, coronavirus obliges, the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône Pierre Dartout, as well as his counterpart at the police headquarters Emmanuel Barbe, calls on the gypsies not to go to the Camargue in order to "respect the rules restricting the gatherings of people, to continue to effectively fight together against the spread of Covid-19. "
“This Camargue tradition brings together an average of 20,000 people, who flock to the site from the start of the week preceding the event, remind the prefects in a press release announcing the cancellation of this pilgrimage. Because of the current health context, the modalities of progressive deconfinement, and government decisions relating to the gathering of people, this pilgrimage cannot take place this year. "
In what seems to be a call to the gypsy community, the two prefects count on "civic spirit and everyone's responsibility so that the deconfinement measures are strictly respected." "
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- Coronavirus
- Prohibition
- Video
- Travellers
- Pilgrimage