About 6,500 people took part in an unauthorized carnival in the streets of Marseille on Sunday.

On Europe 1, the LR deputy of Bouches-du-Rhône Éric Diard denounces a "surrealist" situation and calls for "severity".

"It can be a gigantic cluster," he worries. 

The images aroused astonishment, then dismay.

While the coronavirus epidemic continues to strike France throughout the country, around 6,500 people took part in a carnival in central Marseille on Sunday, during an unauthorized rally.

In the streets, thousands of euphoric and disguised people, the mask stowed in the pocket in most cases.

On the spot, local elected officials have expressed their anger, and some are calling for sanctions, such as the mayor of the city Benoît Payan, for whom "nothing justifies destroying collective efforts". 

Nothing justifies destroying collective efforts to contain the virus!


Nothing justifies desecrating the site of the Rue d'Aubagne collapses!


Nothing justifies attacking children's games and public facilities! #LaPlaine

- Benoît Payan (@BenoitPayan) March 21, 2021

Same anger and concern on the side of Eric Diard, LR deputy of Bouches-du-Rhône.

"Now is not the time to have a carnival, it can be a gigantic cluster. We are still in slightly lower figures than the Île-de-France, but we are not very far from it. is completely surreal ", he annoys at the microphone of Europe 1. 

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"I appeal to the severity, that the Ministry of the Interior lodges a complaint for endangering others, as it had done for the rave party in Brittany. I also hope that the city of Marseille lodge a complaint" , continues the elected, criticizing associations "irresponsible". 

Seven participants arrested, a police officer injured

Police ended up dispersing the revelers half an hour before the 7 p.m. curfew on Sunday.

But why so late?

To avoid overflows, answers Rudy Manna, the secretary of the Alliance police union in the Bouches-du-Rhône.

“The number of people surprised us. It's a carnival that was more on the side of the anarchists,” he explains on Europe 1. “There would have been a minimum of legitimate violence that would have been caused, we would have been filmed everywhere to explain that the police were practicing illegitimate violence. " 

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In a statement, the Prefecture of Police deplores the numerous degradations and violence.

A policeman was injured, while seven participants were arrested.