One of the main consequences of the curfew in force in France between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. has been the end of end-of-day programs for the population. Dinners at restaurants had already been suspended with the second lockdown, in effect since October.
But the measurements do not hamper some of the supporters of the evening programming. In addition to underground parties, police have increasingly discovered restaurants that operate despite government restrictions and the risk of fines.
If at the start of the pandemic, the French press mainly reported clandestine parties in abandoned places, such as the raves of the 1990s, since the entry into force of the curfew at 6 p.m., preventing any type of happy hour, c t is more and more the case of restaurants that operate clandestinely, or traders who revolt and open their doors as if there were no pandemic.
Some restaurateurs rebelled Monday (1 °) against the health measures imposed in France and reopened their establishments. On January 27, a restaurateur in Nice, in the south of the country, was confronted with the measure prohibiting the serving of food inside establishments and served 100 people for lunch, which led him to the police station.
These reopenings are symbolic and traders only serve food one day to show they feel hurt by the restrictions imposed by the government, even if they receive state aid to deal with the emergency. sanitary.
Restaurants and other businesses forced to close by the pandemic can opt for aid of 10 thousand euros (65 thousand R $) per month or compensation of 20% of their income, with a maximum of 200 thousand euros per month (1, 3 million R $). But many consider that the device is not enough.
French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned that traders who violate the restrictions would be penalized by cutting this aid.
At dawn on Monday, the police surprised dozens of people participating in a clandestine party in a restaurant in Gentilly, on the outskirts of Paris. Authorities suspected the site was operating despite the restrictions as they noted that several cars were parked and left passengers at the scene.
Although they were gathered illegally, the party attendees, who were not wearing protective masks, reacted violently to the approach of the police by throwing glasses and bottles. One officer was injured and more than 130 penalties were imposed.
The Minister of the Economy says that illegal restaurants are isolated cases and that these episodes are criticized by other owners. But last week, in just two days, Paris police closed 24 illegal restaurants that were working with the curtains closed.
On Friday (29), a police patrol in the capital fined ten judges who ate standing in a restaurant during the day (which is also prohibited, since only take-out services are allowed).
The establishment is opposite the police headquarters. Restaurant owners have said customers are just protecting themselves from the rain while waiting for their orders. Even so, the place was closed for 15 days.
Supermarket fines
The curfew has also created unusual situations. As commercial establishments close their doors at 6 p.m., from 5 p.m. queues start to form in supermarkets and bakeries.
This weekend, police fined several customers waiting to check in at a Paris supermarket at 6:06 p.m. According to the French press, the head of the establishment had already been alerted several times and should have prevented consumers from entering in the minutes before the end of the working day.
Outraged and complaining about the “lack of tolerance”, some customers posted social media messages telling the story. “Now in France we are fined for going over 6 minutes of curfew drugs. Are we living our last hours of freedom?”
Failure to comply with the curfew is punishable by a fine of 135 euros (R $ 900).