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HEALTH

Alarm in France after 2,500 mass for illegal rave

Some 2,500 partygoers attended an illegal New Year rave in northwestern France, violently clashing with police who failed to stop it and sparking concern the underground event could spread the coronavirus, authorities said on Friday.

Published: 1 January 2021 14:00 CET
Updated: 2 January 2021 08:16 CET
Alarm in France after 2,500 mass for illegal rave
People dance during a party near a disused hangar in Lieuron on January 1, 2021. JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP
The revellers had set up the illegal rave in Lieuron, south of Rennes in Brittany, after skirmishes with police, said a statement from the local prefecture. Many were still on the site Friday as a sanitary cordon was thrown up around it.
   
Local gendarmes tried to “prevent this event but faced fierce hostility from many partygoers” who set one of their cars of fire and threw bottles and stones, the statement said.
   
Those present had come from across France and even abroad, it said.
   
By Friday evening, the sound of techno music could still be heard from the party venue, though police were preventing any newcomers from joining the rave, according to an AFP photographer.
   
“Police controls are taking place around the site. Verbal warnings are being given to everyone leaving,” the police said on social media.
   
Speaking later on BFM TV, interior ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaize said there had been “great hostility, great violence” against the forces of law and order, without indicating when the police would be able enter the rave site.
   
Such mass gatherings are strictly prohibited across France to prevent the spread of Covid-19, and a nationwide 8:00 pm curfew — which was not lifted for New Year — applies across the country.
  

Reports said that the rave party took place in an empty warehouse belonging to a storage company.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the illegal organisation of a musical gathering and premeditated violence against persons in authority.

Vehicles registered from all over France were still parked at the site on Friday and many revellers were present as techno music thudded away, an AFP journalist said.

People wait after dancing during a party in a disused hangar in Lieuron about 40km (around 24 miles) on south of Rennes, on January 1, 2021. JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP

'Little social distancing' 

Participants interviewed by AFP said that the revellers had included partygoers from foreign countries, including Spain and Britain.

One participant, who gave his name as Jo from the Alsace region of eastern France and refused to be identified further, said they had all met at  a meeting point on Thursday evening in the parking lot of a shopping centre.

Then the convoy headed for Lieuron where the police tried to prevent them from passing, he said.

He acknowledged that “very few had respected social distancing” at the event, which was supposed only to end later on Saturday.

French authorities have been particularly concerned about mass wildcat rave parties throughout the pandemic but New Year's night was a particular concern.

In the southern city of Marseille, security forces halted an illegal party grouping some 300 people, police said. Over 150 people were warned and the three suspected organisers have been arrested.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that 132,000 police had been deployed across France for the New Year celebrations to ensure security and that the curfew was respected.

Darmanin said on Twitter on Friday that he was working with local officials in the evening “on re-establishing a normal situation” while keeping people safe.

Member comments

  1. The organisers should be be sued for endangering public health, and the health of the wider population too, not just the ‘party goers’ All the attendence money and equipment should be confiscated and sold.

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HEALTH

The French government scheme that helps cover the cost of therapy

The French government launched 'Mon Soutien Psy' in 2020, in an effort to help people afford psychological care. In June, the scheme will be expanded.

Published: 29 May 2024 15:03 CEST
The French government scheme that helps cover the cost of therapy

What is ‘Mon Soutien Psy’?

It is a scheme that allows anyone aged three and over who is suffering from anxiety, depression or mental distress to benefit from psychological support sessions, the cost of which is partially reimbursed by the state.

Currently, people can benefit from up to eight counselling sessions in a year with the assistance of Assurance Maladie, as long as the appointment is done with a psychologist registered to the scheme. 

Previously, it has been difficult for people to find an available psychologist due to high demand. However, with the changes coming into effect on June 15th (increasing the price per session and the number of sessions covered, as well as removing the requirement to visit a doctor for a referral beforehand), the government hopes it will be more accessible.

That being said, patients must use the psychologists who are registered with the scheme, and as a result, English-speakers may be limited.

READ MORE: Ask the expert: How to find an English-speaking therapist in France

Who can participate?

Anyone who is “anxious or depressed; feeling unwell; with a smoking, alcohol or cannabis problem; or struggling with an eating disorder” can participate.

It is not intended for patients in emergency situations – ie those risk of suicide or dealing serious psychiatric issues. They will be referred to a psychiatrist or specialised facility.

How does it work?

As things stand in May 2024, the patient must first visit a doctor. This normally would be your GP, but it can also be any other doctor ‘charged with your care’, including other local GPs, paediatricians, geriatricians, and more.

After evaluating you, the doctor can give you a referral (courrier d’adressage) to a psychologist. This step will change in June 2024, and patients will be able to consult registered psychologists directly.

You can find the list of participating psychologists (HERE) to make an appointment.

Your first session will be for evaluation purposes. The psychologist will then determine the number of follow-up sessions (up to seven, but soon to be increased to 11) based on your needs. 

How much is reimbursed?

As with other medical appointments in France, you pay the practitioner and later receive a reimbursement. 

The reimbursement rate is 60 percent, and the remaining 40 percent is either out-of-pocket or covered by your complementary healthcare plan (mutuelle).

The fist session costs €40, and the follow-up sessions currently cost €30. However, starting in June 2024, they will be increased to €50 in an attempt to attract more psychologists to participate in the scheme. They will remain reimbursed at the 60 percent rate.

READ MORE: Health insurance in France: What you need to know about a mutuelle

If you are in the following situations, then you do not have to pay anything up-front.

  • Beneficiaries of the Complémentaire santé solidaire scheme ;
  • Beneficiaries of state medical aid (AME);
  • People with disabilities or long-term illnesses (Affection de Longue Durée – ALD) 
  • Pregnant women (from the 6th month of pregnancy);
  • People under care in connection with an accident at work or occupational illness.
How can I get reimbursed?

In the coming years, the system will be incorporated into your Carte Vitale, so you will not need to mail in any reimbursement forms.

However, as things stand, you must request a feuille de soins at each session and mail it into Assurance Maladie to get your reimbursement. You would also send this to your mutuelle, depending on your situation.

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