French police finally closed an illegal raid near the city of Rennes that had attracted more than 2,500 celebrants from across the country.
The party has been raging in a warehouse since Thursday, defying the country’s strict coronavirus blocking requirements, Reuters reported.
Early efforts to clear the festeros on Friday had been met with violence, with challenging youths throwing stones and bottles at police. At least one police car was set on fire.
The situation had become so out of control that French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin convened a crisis meeting on Friday night to assess the situation, according to the BBC.
The party, which was expected to last until at least Tuesday, was only finally broken after the arrival of police reinforcements.
More than 1,200 people received official appointments as they left the venue and police plan to prosecute the event organizers. Lighting and music equipment was also seized at the site.
France has the highest number of coronaviruses in Western Europe, with more than 64,000 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.