"The evening of December 31st in Paris traditionally sees a huge fireworks display, a concert and a gathering on the city's famous Champs-Elysées. However this year the concert will not take place, at the request of the Paris police chief who requested the cancellation due to fears over crowd control and safety. In previous years, up to 1 million people have gathered on the avenue and its surrounding streets to watch the fireworks and concert and celebrate the New Year."
"However, this year police say they are worried about crowd control, with an unnamed source telling France Info: "Last year we had more scares in the two hours of New Year's Eve than in the whole three weeks of the Paris Olympics." Instead, a concert has already been pre-recorded at Place de la Concorde, using extras as the crowd, and will be broadcast on France 2 TV on New Year's Eve."
Paris police cancelled the New Year's Eve concert on the Champs-Elysées due to security and crowd-control risks. The avenue traditionally hosts a huge fireworks display, a concert and gatherings that have drawn up to one million people. Authorities cited recent crowd-safety concerns and noted heightened incidents during recent events. Organizers pre-recorded a concert at Place de la Concorde with extras and will broadcast it on France 2. The traditional midnight fireworks will still be shown and the avenue will remain open for viewers. The Champs-Elysées has a history of large celebratory gatherings and occasional clashes with police, including arrests after recent football celebrations.
Read at The Local France
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