always highly secure, now a little paid

The Bayonne Festival at the end of July, one of the biggest festive gatherings in Europe, will be placed like last year under the sign of a security "adapted to the reality of the threat", and for the first time once paid, a small revolution inescapable, according to the municipality.

Between 800 and 1,000 officials on the ground. The security device "will resemble the previous years, while adapting to the reality of the threat," Bayonne sub-prefect, Hervé Jonathan, told reporters Tuesday, presenting the security aspect of the holiday season July 29th. Between CRS, border police, gendarmerie, police and army, between 800 and 1,000 officials will be on the ground, said the sub-prefect. The Sentinel device will be deployed again day and night, as since 2016, following the attacks in Nice.

For the first time in the history of these popular festivals created in 1932, a system of "pbad" will partially pay for access to downtown celebrations, historically free for the "festayres" (revelers in Gascon), which should like last year exceed one million over five days. The reason: the rising cost of security, justified the UDI Mayor Jean-René Etchegaray

Security "has a cost" "In 2016, it was not long before the holidays were suspended or canceled after the attacks in Nice," he said. "The decision to maintain them was to put in place an important security device, to deal with all the risks and to increase the security budget even more, all at a cost and that is why we have made the decision to charge these holidays. "

With a total budget of 2.9 million euros, security represents approximately 570,000 euros, an increase compared to 2017, without counting 550,000 of the new filtering device. access this year, he said. The perimeter of the holidays will be closed, filtered at ten points of entry. Systematic searches will be conducted by 600 security agents mobilized. The festayres will pay an "entry fee" of 8 euros for a bracelet giving access to the last three days of celebration, from Friday 27 to Sunday 29. The ceremony and opening night, Wednesday, and the day of Thursday remain free

A measure that makes people unhappy The decision to make the holiday pay has sparked protests, including baronniers bayonnais, and the opposition municipal. An appeal had been lodged by a socialist Bayonne activist before the administrative court of Pau, which dismissed it. "The motives are understood" by the population, badured the mayor.