TLTP
PARIS
As anger continues to grow against the French government’s decision to close all bars and restaurants in the southern metropolitan area between Marseille and Aix in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19, the president of the regional council has announced his decision to challenge the closure in the courts.
Bar and restaurant owners in Marseille are angry. Friday morning saw hundreds of protestors outside the city’s courthouse, and a call from one right-wing mayor for peaceful civil disobedience and the occupation of establishments threatened with closure.
Describing the Paris decision to close all food and drink outlets in the second most populated urban area in France as “a punishment”, “a catastrophe”, as “disproportionate”, regional president, Renaud Muselier of the right-wing Republicans party said he would go to court to contest the government’s right to prevent the region’s business people from continuing to work.
The Marseille town hall has described the decision as “an affront”, and called for the measure to be postponed for ten days.
Confirming that the Marseille decision had been taken because of three crucial measures . . . infection rate, hospital emergency bed occupancy, overall number of infections . . . are all beyond the limit considered manageable, Jean Castex made it clear that regional cafes and bars will benefit from additional government assistance.
