Fairgrounds refuse to see the festival of the 400 Coups locked behind gates. They ask the prefecture and the town hall to open the access to Cours Foucault and let them control the health passes on their rides. The prefecture remains inflexible and also discusses the site’s security in the face of terrorism.
The weather is stormy and tension is mounting among some fairgrounds installed on the Cours Foucault. At the head Norman Bruch, owner of one of the most beautiful attractions of the festival and above all a founding member of the Federation of fairgrounds of France. He opposes parking the funfair behind gates offering only two entrances to the public. “The town hall is behind a health protocol imposed by the prefecture. However, since July 25, 2021, the government has allowed fairgrounds to directly control the public who shows up on their rides. However, for the 400 Coups this control is postponed to both entrances to the site. I let you imagine the queue and the groupings when you have your QR code checked. We can bet that a good number of people will turn back. It is abnormal to have to take out an identity card or a document to access to a public space and in the open air, plague Norman Bruch. Why do we impose this on us when in the open air markets we let the population wander without ever being controlled. It is our activity that is targeted and stigmatized by the public authorities! “
The prefecture talks about security
Last year, in the midst of a health crisis, the prefecture of Tarn-et-Garonne and the town hall of Montauban were able to maintain this fun fair by closing it to better control the tonnage of 5,000 people. This year, as no gauge is imposed, the grids are a problem. “We are put in a cage while a funfair wants to be free, popular and must allow the public to walk in the middle of the attractions, insists this former president of Cidunati (Inter-union Confederation of Defense and National Union of Independent Workers) fairground branch. I do not want to pass for an anti-vaccine or an anti-pass, because I am not. On the other hand I represent colleagues who are indignant against more and more liberticidal measures. we controlled access to pedestrian streets for customers who want to go to stores? “
At the prefecture, after having studied the question at length yesterday afternoon, the position remains inflexible: “The Cours Foucault has already hosted events subject to the same conditions of access as last week during the sports festival. The site is mesh for above all a question of security, specifies Emilie Saussine, chief of staff of the prefect. Searches will be carried out at the entrances to prevent the terrorist risk. On this occasion, the sanitary pass will be checked once and the public will be free to ‘evolve once inside the party. “
Ready to dismantle grates
For its part, the town hall has worked on setting up bracelets to avoid having to re-check the same people at the entrances during the weekend, the access corridors on the Saint-Théodard side have been tripled compared to last year in order to to make access as fluid as possible. Measures that do not seem to suit some fairgrounds who are already planning to dismantle the gates to open the Cours Foucault to the public. The inauguration of the party is scheduled for Friday evening at 7 p.m.
–
