LIVE – The convoy has set off, follow the fairground demonstration in Bayonne

Fairground workers demonstrate in Bayonne this Tuesday to protest against the change in the date of the holidays to 2025. They will take place between July 16 and July 20, at the same time as those of the Madeleine in Mont-de-Marsan. This is a problem for the French fairgrounds federation which is worried about the impact on the turnover of its members since the two events are heavy in activity. On October 1, she denounced this decision to the town hall of Bayonne calling it a “forceful passage”but also of denial “of the traditions perpetuated for many years and of the economic issues linked to this decision taken without any consultation with the different parties who have participated since the dawn of time in these two events”. Follow the progress of the event and the progress of events, according to the point of view of the different actors.

The essentials

• Follow us live in real time on our X feed.
• The route of the fairground event
• The procession set off at 8:45 a.m. with around sixty fairground trucks.
• At 10:15 a.m., the procession heads towards the Grand Basque roundabout
• Avenue d’Aquitaine, the Saint-Frédéric bridge and the Grand Basque roundabout are saturated
• The entry and exit via interchange 6 in Bayonne Nord on the A63 are closed by the police to prevent the procession from entering the highway
• Two processions will form in downtown Bayonne
• The fairgrounds are angry with the town hall of Bayonne which has decided to place the dates of the festivals between July 16 and 20, 2025 at the same time as that of the Madeleine in Mont-de-Marsan

Two convoys will split in the city center

At 8:45 a.m., two processions must parade through the city center following a pre-defined route. Around 60 trucks are driving in Bayonne. One in the city center around the town hall, the other on the main roads of Bayonne. At 9:30 a.m., the procession has not yet split . Around sixty fairground workers and their trucks were parked at the Casquets roundabout. The fairgrounds will block and suffocate the city center of Bayonne, a mobilization to make the mayor of Bayonne bend Jean-René Etchegaray. Around 10 a.m., the fairgrounds headed towards the Grand Basque roundabout. The fairgrounds and their 150 vehicles will run until 6:30 p.m. in Bayonne. The first truck arrived at 6:45 a.m., that of Thomas Bruch, leader of the movement, treasurer of the French fairground federation.

According to information from France Bleu Pays Basque, the fairgrounds plan to have lunch around 12 p.m. in front of the town hall. They hope to be received by the municipality of Bayonne.

“I’m not going to be able to work”, these trapped Bayonne residents

Despite prior announcements, some motorists were trapped. “I wasn’t aware”reacts Charlie, a Bayonne resident stuck in traffic. “I’m not going to be able to work! I’m a VTC driver, I’m not going to be able to pick up my customer.” Another Bayonnaise, speech therapist, does not “didn’t expect traffic to be so clogged”. “I will have to reschedule appointments scheduled for today. I just had to leave early.”

Bikers from the National Police also took their place here to supervise the procession. If the holiday dates do not change, “a general mobilization in downtown Bayonne on Saturday October 19 near the Jean-Dauger stadium “, the day when Aviron Bayonnais hosts Racing 92 on behalf of the 7th day of Top 14 is also envisaged.

The municipality and the prefecture on the lookout

For the moment, Bayonne town hall does not plan to change the dates of the 2025 holidays. For her part, she claims to have contacted the showmen to start discussions. Without success to date. On the side of the prefecture, it recommends to anticipate these difficulties et “as much as possible, avoid using the roads leading to Bayonne during the day of Tuesday, October 8. To the extent possible, teleworking should be preferred for employees who usually have to go to Bayonne as part of their work” .

Law enforcement in numbers

The authorities strengthen the security system. The National Police will set up “a circulation device accompanied by an intervention reserve”, specifies Commissioner Olivier Calia, head of the Côte-Basque district and the Bayonne district.

Motorists urged to be patient

A Black Tuesday is to be expected on the Bayonne roads today, because the procession risk of causing a lot of chaos on the roadsbut also in the Txik-Txak bus network. This has already announced an extension of journey times and the interruption of certain lines.