It is a date marked by the authorities. After the violence that followed the death of Nahel, 17, killed by a police officer during a traffic check, the government fears a new conflagration for July 14 in certain neighborhoods. “The means will be massive to protect the French” during these two sensitive days, assured this Sunday July 9 the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in a interview at the Parisian.
In an attempt to limit the risks, the executive targets in particular fireworks mortars. These fireworks have been diverted from their use for several years for illegal purposes, and are regularly used in attacks against law enforcement or buildings, such as during the recent days (and nights) of riots in the whole of France.
“The sale, the port, the transport and the use” of these pyrotechnic articles, very popular with the rioters during the recent urban violence, are prohibited during the weekend of July 14, according to a decree published this Sunday, July 9 in the Official Journal. And this throughout the national territory “in order to prevent the risk of serious disturbances to public order during the festivities”, indicates the text. This prohibition does not apply to authorized professionals or municipalities which organize fireworks for the national holiday, it is specified.
Previously, the Minister of the Interior had encouraged the prefects to issue orders prohibiting the sale of pyrotechnic articles. The prefect of the North, for example, prohibited until July 15 “the use, possession on the public highway as well as the sale and purchase of fireworks”, while in the Alpes-Maritimes, these prohibitions run until to July 17.
Paris, Rennes… Several major seizures made
Seizures of firework mortars have increased in recent days. Nearly 900 kilograms of this material were seized in the space of 24 hours, Wednesday July 5, according to a police source. A stock of “492 kilos of undeclared pyrotechnic devices” was notably confiscated from a fireworks store in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), announced in the evening, via a tweet, the prefecture of the department located at north of Paris.
Tuesday evening, 400 kilos of firework mortars were seized in a northern district of Paris. According to the police headquarters, this discovery had taken place during the control of a van at the Porte de Clignancourt, north of the capital. Three people were arrested. More recently, a shipment of 2.7 tonnes of fireworks was seized by the gendarmes near Rennes on Friday July 7.
In 2022, customs seizures of firework mortars and other pyrotechnic materials reached 1,578 kg of goods, for 60 findings. In 2021 and 2020, they were 345 kg and 146 kg respectively, precise The Parisian. These large seizures, however, remain derisory in the face of the many fireworks sold over the counter. Control operations, particularly at borders, and searches of buildings should increase in the coming days, at the request of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, relates The Parisian.
Material also available on the Internet
This material is available over the counter in specialized stores but also on the Internet. As reminded Le Figaroit is possible to buy boxes in which there are fireworks for recreational use, sold between a hundred and up to more than 500 euros.
On the web, the offer is even wider, and at a lower price, with “maxi fireworks packs” available for a hundred euros. Specialized Internet sites, located in Eastern European countries, transport the goods by postal or express freight, specify the customs with of the Parisian.
Since 2020, is “punished by six months’ imprisonment and a fine of 7,500 euros” the fact of selling “pyrotechnic articles to natural persons who do not have the particular technical knowledge or do not meet the required age conditions by the regulations to acquire, hold, handle or use them.”