Clashes erupted in the French city of Rennes on Saturday (January 23) as hundreds gathered in support of the organisers of an illegal rave that took place on New Year's Eve.

Police fired tear and water cannon to disperse the protesters.

The mass illegal gathering drew thousands of people and prompted the intervention of police forces.

On saturday 23rd 2021, around a thousand people gathered in Rennes, France to support the organizers of a rave party that took place on New Year's eve despite the epidemic.
At 1 in the afternoon, hundreds of people gathered on the Charles De Gaulle sqaure in downtown Rennes, France. With music and chants, they stayed on the place for more than 3 hours with no problems. Around 4pm, a convoy of cars and trucks brought sound system despite a ban from the authorities, less than 5minutes later, police charged the crowd to confiscate the sound system, which created tensions with the protesters. Soon enough, projectiles were thrown and tear gas was fired, the police also used flashballs and water cannon to disperse the crowd that started moving in the city.
Situation only got worst as the protesters started getting inside a local mall, and had to destroy a window as they were blocked inside it.
The protest was called in support of the organizers of the Lieuron (small town south of Rennes) rave party, it gathered more than 2.400 people with little to no sanitary precautions on New Year's Eve.