Fan zones, popular with supporters, will be emulated this year. (Illustration Euro 2016) – N. Stival
There will be no exemption from the curfew in France to follow, in a bar or on a terrace, the entry into contention in the Euro des Bleus against the Germans, this Tuesday at 9 p.m., while a A limited number of fan-zones, the usual gathering place for the public during a major tournament, will be open, at least until June 29.
Despite the relaxation, which took place last Wednesday, of the health rules put in place to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, it will still be difficult for French supporters to come together in large numbers to attend the great debuts of the world champions, and to continue the evening beyond the end of the meeting.
Mansuétude for people returning after the game
According to the protocol communicated by the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, “only fan zones with seated spectators can be set up until June 29, in compliance with the gauge and health measures prescribed, ”the Interior Ministry told AFP. However, in a telegram to the prefects, Gérald Darmanin on Monday asked “the police to show particular leniency” during checks “of people who would return home after watching the match outside their home. home ”.
The decision to open a fan-zone is the responsibility of the town halls, which must meet the health specifications established by the protocol, but it is also subject to obtaining a prefectural authorization. Under these conditions, very few of them have taken the plunge. In Bron, a neighboring city of Lyon, a fan-zone with a capacity of 900 seats will open its doors on Tuesday and it will be accessible by reservation, said the town hall.
Town halls on a case-by-case basis
In Lille, Mayor Martine Aubry (PS) is “in favor of setting up a fan zone if it can be done in accordance with the rules”, according to the City’s communication. “The City and the European Metropolis of Lille are looking to see if it is possible for the last three matches, semi-finals and final, in July, because the health protocol will be more open” than in June, one explains. The town hall excludes installing one in June, because the measures of the health protocol of this month “are hard to put in place”.
Same policy in Besançon, where the town hall “plans to organize the broadcasts of the semi-finals (July 6 or 7) and the final on July 11, at the Léo-Lagrange Stadium (…) with a number of people still to be defined and the obligation of the health pass to access it, ”said the city in a press release. In Marseille, there shouldn’t be a fan-zone in June, and it’s not guaranteed that there will be in July either.
Terraces under conditions
For the broadcasts of matches on the terraces of bars, the prefecture has on the other hand authorized them under conditions. On its Facebook page, the Union des métiers et des industries de l’hôtellerie des Bouches-du-Rhône details these conditions: “table service, 6 per table, barrier gestures respected, empty terrace at 11:00 p.m., screen directed towards the indoor (to prevent non-customers from watching the game from the street). “
In the capital, where gatherings of young revelers were dispersed by the police this weekend, there will be no fan-zones in June either and the installation of television screens on the terrace has been banned by the town hall. However, many bars and restaurants have planned to offer the France-Germany shock to their indoor customers, which suggests concentrations that are not compatible with the gauges in force and the rules of social distancing.
While the curfew will be in effect from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. until June 29, if the Minister of the Interior recommends to the police “leniency” vis-à-vis supporters, he warns that ” any behavior endangering the life of others must be particularly sanctioned ”. During the day, the ministry had argued that there would be “no tolerance (concerning the curfew) because before the finals, there is no extra time and therefore the matches should end before 11:00 pm” .