The State and the City of Lyon are mobilizing to ensure the security of the approximately two million visitors expected. In order to guarantee the protection of the population during Festival of Lights 2024an important security device public and civil will be deployed under the direction of Fabienne Buccio, prefect of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Rhône region, and Grégory Doucet, mayor of Lyon.
From December 5 to 8, 2024, 550 national police officers and gendarmesreinforced by soldiers from Operation Sentinel, 220 municipal police officers and 430 security agents will be mobilized daily.
The departmental-metropolitan emergency fire service (SDMIS) will mobilize more than 120 firefighters and six remote barracks, supported by Smur teams. In addition, 14 Red Cross aid stations will be deployed throughout this major cultural event.
Security perimeters cordoned off one hour before the start of the 2024 Festival of Lights
Several security perimeters will be set up during the festivities. The main one will extend over the Presqu'île, from the south of Place Bellecour, to the bottom of the slopes of Croix-Rousse, and will also include Vieux-Lyon and Fourvière hill. The closure of the perimeters will begin each day one hour before the start of the illuminations, i.e. at 6 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Traffic will be prohibited for vehicles, as well as bicycles and scooters. The perimeter of Sergent Blandan Park will be cordoned off from 4:30 p.m. Furthermore, the work in progress in the areas concerned was neutralized and secured until December 9.
Around fifty points will be equipped with anti-ram devices. National police officers, distributed across the 40 screening zones, will be responsible for carrying out pat-downs and inspecting bags and luggage. The regional prefect responsible for defense and security, Antoine Guérin, calls “to the responsibility and good citizenship of everyone to facilitate the work of the police, avoiding taking a bag if it is not necessary“, and to “follow the path and be patient“.
The main exits subway entrances will be closely monitored by the police and TCL agents. Antoine Guérin notably mentioned “increased vigilance at the Vieux-Lyon metro station“, where the flow of travelers is very significant each year and could “cause the station to be closed if necessary“.
The Festival of Lights disrupted by demonstrations?
Mohamed Chihideputy of the Lyon town hall in charge of safety, security and tranquility, spoke of the “particular context” of this edition, marked with “social movements to manage“.
The municipal police have in fact filed a renewable strike notice for the period from November 6, 2024 to February 6, 2025. She plans to mobilize in front of city hall this Friday, December 6. Rhône firefighters also have strike notice in effect until the Festival of Lights and are considering action during the festivities to express their anger.
