A huge open-air nightclub, where alcohol flows freely. Two rooms, two atmospheres at the gastronomic village of the Foire de Tours, Thursday May 9, 2024. Like every end of the evening, the eaters give way to the revelers until late at night.
As the central alleys empty, the flow moves towards the around thirty atmospheric bars, on the edge of the village. Thanks to the two consecutive public holidays, attendance is particularly high. The peak in the number of visitors is reached at 10 p.m., when there were more than 12,000.
“With the help of alcohol, the outing can easily go awry”
“I came looking for originality, meeting people and having a good time. I want to be surprised, I let myself be carried away. For now, the evening meets my expectations”, smiles Anthony, in his twenties. The only downside is that it closes at 1 a.m. “It’s too early, the evening has barely started! » Others do not dispute this rule. “After 30 years of the fair, we know what to expect. After 1 hour, you have to leave to avoid any hassles”comments his friend.
Indeed, security agents must use psychology, or even force, to evacuate the site. “With the help of alcohol, the outing can easily go awry. In general, everything is resolved very peacefully”relates Géraud Lanièce, the general director of Tours Événements.
After 11 p.m., visitors tend to concentrate on the edges of the site, near the atmospheric bars.
© (NR photo, Rachel Herman)
Throughout the evening, the security team monitors traffic to the site deemed sensitive in real time. This well-established system is based on video surveillance, 27 cameras on the site, and a cell which counts each entry and exit. Security is ensured by 30 agents from the company API Protection, a loyal partner of the fair.
“They are specialized in managing this type of event. They are placed in the position of bouncers and trained to intervene as quickly as possible to neutralize people and remove them. They also have the possibility of handing them over to the authorities outside.continues Géraud Lanièce.
Two teams, one fixed, the other mobile, supervise the flows and anticipate fights. Frequently observed, they are quickly stopped. “We are not here to hit people but to ensure their safety. We operate using walkie-talkies and color codes: orange for a little trouble, red for a fight, scarlet for a big fight.explains Didier Chevallier, the manager of API protection.
“Everyone is going to go to sleep”
Several points of tension are identified, of which the exit is one. “There are always diehards who don’t want to leave. We’re going to kindly tell them that everyone is going to go to sleep, us first.”says Didier Chevallier.
The process begins around 12:30 a.m., in the presence of 6,600 people on the site. Fifteen minutes later, the music stops, the bars lower the curtain. Visitors are firmly invited to leave the premises via a single exit, facing the funfair.
Some of the visitors continue the festivities at the funfair which closes an hour later.
© (NR photo, Rachel Herman)
In a few minutes, the site is empty. The security guards will soon give way to those from the housekeeping department, very early in the morning. “Our security operations are very varied, ranging from the Michel Sardou concert to the congress of mayors, but the Tours Fair is by far the one that requires the most advanced know-how. »
Security at a high price
The organizer Tours Événements pays a high price for securing the premises. “For the fair, the device is colossal, it costs us €230,000. We do not skimp on resources with a rehearsed and solid team. We want to maintain the family side of the fair,” explains Iman Manzari, president of Tours Événements. A sum to which must be added €155,000, payable by the municipality, to secure the funfair with two security agents stationed at each of the seven entrances. A new system, imposed by the prefecture since the Vigipirate plan was upgraded to the “emergency attack” level.
