Lyon’s festival of lights kicks off amid heightened security threat in France

In Lyon, millions of people flock to the Fête des lumières, a festival with light displays installed across the city.

Transcript

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)