A violent clash between police and attendees of a rave in France has left one man with a severed hand.
It took nearly 400 officers a total of nearly seven hours to disperse the crowds of the 1,500-person rave. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, mass gatherings are still illegal in France. Advertised on social media, the event still turned out a sizable crowd to the Redon, Brittany region.
According to Sky News, police showed up in riot gear and deployed tear gas in an attempt to disperse the gathering. Attendees began to pelt officers with explosives, including Molotov cocktails and firecrackers. One such explosive caused serious injury to a 22-year-old man.
Overall, five officers were injured in the conflict, two of whom were hospitalized. Two attendees, including the 22-year-old man, were hospitalized.
The conflict comes as France is preparing to ultimately lift many of its COVID restrictions. That includes the return of nightlife to the region, as clubs have been given the go-ahead to reopen starting July 9th.
