Land, sea, air: tight security ahead of Cannes Film Festival
More than a thousand police officers, gendarmes and private security agents will be deployed to ensure security for the Hollywood stars and their fans at next week's Cannes Film Festival, with particular attention being paid to potential protests linked to the French government's controversial pension reform.
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The two-week festival, which opens on 16 May with its long list of celebrities, fans and 4,500 accredited journalists, requires a "high level of security", says Jean-Claude Geney, the chief of police of Grasse, who is coordinating security for the event.
He told the AFP news agency the region has been the target of terrorist attacks, and it also attracts VIP guests with luxury belongings and accessories.
Geney said particular attention would be paid to "possible gatherings of people", referring to protesters who may choose the Croisette for staging rallies against the pension reform that was recently passed by the government, and which sparked months of protest, some of them violent.
Tense social climate
Since the reform passed, protesters have been expressing discontent with President Emmanual Macron and his government by showing up at events banging pots.
"We may have additional work, compared to last year," Geney said, admitting that security officials were faced with the possibility that unions might attempt to cut off electricity during certain major events, as a way of protesting.
National CRS riot police will back up the 200 members of the Cannes police department, which has a canine and equestrian brigade and police on motorbikes patrolling around the clock.
Checkpoints on the ground
In and around the most sensitive and high-profile venues, road blocks and other barriers will be placed and controlled by the local police, which has access to 833 video surveillance cameras, "one for every 88 inhabitants, the densest network in France," said Cannes town hall.
The most guarded area is the Palais des Festivals, where the film screenings take place, and where Michael Douglas, Johnny Depp and Harrison Ford, among others, are expected to appear on the red carpet.
Before each red carpet entry, especially in the evening, the area will be cordoned off and "access and traffic are filtered", said Geney.
Festival organisers have hired eight private security companies that will staff 256 checkpoints, for filtering and surveillance inside the palace.
Keeping drones in check
The Maritime Gendarmerie will be in charge of of safety at sea, preventing access to festival hotspots by boat.
And a temporary ban on flights over the city is being reinforced by helicopters and planes, which will monitor drone activity, allowing police to take control of any rogue drones and track down their operators.
Private security firms have also been hired to keep an eye on the many parties and private functions organised by hotels and villas along the beachfront.
RFI is covering The Cannes Film Festival, 16-27 May 2023.
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