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Lyon’s festival of lights kicks off amid heightened security threat in France
euronews (in English)
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07/12/2023
In Lyon, millions of people flock to the Fête des lumières, a festival with light displays installed across the city.
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00:00
With its dazzling light installations, Lyon's Fête des Lumières is expected to attract
00:08
some two million visitors and promises to offer something for everyone.
00:14
Yet the festival is taking place just weeks after the counter-terror alert level in France
00:18
was raised to its highest state.
00:20
"It's an event that takes place in a security context that is a little bit special with a high level of terrorist threat.
00:31
You know, we are on alert, emergency, attack.
00:35
And so it obviously has to encourage us to be as vigilant as possible."
00:40
The festival, which began in 1989, was cancelled in 2015 following the Paris terror attacks
00:48
and in 2020 due to the pandemic.
00:51
This year, it is scheduled to go ahead as usual with large parts of the city centre cordoned off.
00:57
To secure the event, 500 national police officers and 220 local police have been recruited,
01:03
plus 400 security personnel.
01:05
Members of the military will also patrol the perimeters.
01:08
"The Fête des Lumières is the only event for which a dry plan is systematically triggered.
01:14
So we are already on a maximum level of mobilization of all the security forces of this area."
01:20
Local authorities have also banned a far-right group from infiltrating the annual procession during the festival,
01:29
following recent violent acts from extremist groups.
01:34
"If there were any violence that was committed or attempted to be committed on the event,
01:45
on the event by the opuscules, because you are violent,
01:50
we will intervene, obviously, according to the nature of the acts that were committed."
01:55
The security for the Fête des Lumières has already been at a high level since 2016,
02:00
with the festival's artistic director telling Euronews that he expects the public to show up,
02:05
with hotels and restaurants already reserved.
02:08
And this year, extending beyond the city centre, the city hopes that it will touch a larger population.
02:14
This is Lauren Chadwick reporting for Euronews.
02:17
(whooshing)
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