After two months of confinement, in the Basque Country, it’s hard to resist the urge to kick a ball or play a basketball game with friends, especially when the sun is out and the temperatures are hot.
On the Esplanade de la Barre in Anglet, on the Basque coast, a few meters from the beach, we tan, we read, we walk but for others, the sporting activity is much more intense … and collective! As soon as the confinement linked to the coronavirus crisis ended, some of the barriers surrounding the city stadium were broken down. Accessible, it is now taken by storm. “We are not stuck, we are outdoors, so good … me personally, I do not see the risk”, says Thomas, who has just finished a football match with his friends. “I haven’t been out of my house in two months, it feels good to get some fresh air, and then we try to move on because it’s not easy”, retorts the young man. He even admits to finding that “more logical than having a meal or an aperitif with friends, locked in an apartment”.
A few meters from the field, there is a bodybuilding area. Access is prohibited, but here too, the few protective barriers have been moved. There’s a lot of people around the abs and parallel bars. “We take our precautions, we have masks, hand gel, etc.”, defends Jean-Lou, who trains there every night with his friends. “Afterwards, we know we are doing something stupid anyway. This is no joke! We know that we are taking risks, and it is certain that those who go to play areas and who then ‘surprise to catch it, there it is clear, we are responsible. “
Nina, her husband and her son don’t seem to be taking risks. Quite the contrary. Going out, biking, training sessions: it’s a routine that they absolutely did not change during and after confinement. “I think there was a big exaggeration and we scared people for very little”says Nina.
Closing people like that and terrorizing them at home, I find it really lamentable!at franceinfo
“We didn’t respect confinement at all, says the mother. We were outside every day, we didn’t care, and we continued to live as if nothing had happened, we showed civil disobedience. My immune system has never looked so good! “
All the same, a little thrill runs through these athletes when a police car approaches, stops … then finally leaves. Without reprimand or fines. “They are understanding”, said one of the young practitioners. In Anglet, all sports facilities are “in principle” closed until June 15.
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