French theatre, entertainment workers protest Covid closures in Paris

Scenes of unrest in the French capital as thousands of theatre workers protested Covid closures. Photo / Christphe Eva, AP

Scenes ensued on the Place de la Concorde and various public squares as theatremakers and actors donned makeup and costume for the first time in months. Creators, clowns and mimes were protesting the effects of the country's second Covid-19 lockdown, and had encorporated facemasks and Covid era props into their act.

Their first response had been farce, this time it was tragedy.

Thousands of people working in the French theatre and cinema industries demonstrated in Paris on Tuesday against the prolonged closure of entertainment centres amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier that day, France lifted a partial lockdown imposed on 30 October, but will still maintain strict measures at least until 7 January, including a curfew from 8 pm to 6 am, as numbers of infections remain high.

Theatres, cinemas and other performance halls, together with bars and restaurants, will remain shut over the holidays.

Workers in the cultural sector gathered at Place de La Bastille, in front of the modern opera house that has been closed for weeks.

🔴Rassemblement sur la Place de la Bastille à #Paris, du monde du #spectacle, du #cinéma et de l’audiovisuel à l’appel de la @cgt_spectacle, pour protester contre la prolongation de la fermeture des salles et lieux culturels.#CultureEnDanger #culture #NonEssentiel #PasEssentiel pic.twitter.com/JweEXdNqw7

— Charles Baudry (@CharlesBaudry) December 15, 2020

Among them, Veronique Bellin, deputy director of the new theatre of Montreuil in the eastern suburbs of Paris, said health measures had been in place before the lockdown to protect spectators.

"Today we see that the government accepts that churches reopen, and these are the exact same conditions, but people can't go to the theatre or cinema. We don't understand," she said.

Giant marionettes joined protests in Paris. Photo / Christophe Ena, AP

The government announced last week a 35-million euro ($42 million) additional support package for the cultural sector. Yet protesters expressed fears that many jobs won't survive the crisis.

Stage set designer Thibault Sinay said: "We hear about big money being announced but, for theatre productions and creations, we don't see any money coming. It's really hard for us."

It is the second time French theatres and cinemas have been closed down to slow the spread of Covid-19. They were shut from March to June, during the first lockdown.

Health authorities said they registered over 10,000 new confirmed daily infections last week. On Monday, they reported 372 deaths from COVID-19 in hospitals, bringing the country's overall death toll to more than 58,000.

🔴Jacques Weber, acteur: « Dire que le #théâtre est inutile, c’est d’une connerie noire ! Mais voilà ... c’est comme le préfet Lallement, c’est la même chose, c’est nul, horrible, dégueulasse ».#CultureEnDanger #culture #Paris #NonEssentiel #PasEssentiel pic.twitter.com/atdGPyVUYa

— Charles Baudry (@CharlesBaudry) December 15, 2020

"To say that theatre is useless is utter c**p," said actor Jacques Weber, famous for his portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac, who spoke out for greater support of the arts in the face of Covid 19 at an assembly at the Théâtre de l'Atelier, Montmartre.

- Associated Press