The Bars and restaurants in France have been banned from showing any Euro 2016 matches outside after further security measures were announces in an effort to prevent a terror attack during the tournament.
France remains in a state of emergency following last November’s terror attacks in Paris, in which 130 people were killed and hundreds more injured during several attacks across the capital city. A number of measures are already in place as well as increased security numbers, with stadiums and fan zones expected to demonstrate a strong visual presence of armed policemen.
But with French authorities trying to improve safety during the major tournament, a ban has been implemented on bars and restaurants screening matches outside, in an effort to have fewer people gathering in large numbers outside of the recognised fan zones.
The junior sports minister, Thierry Braillard, admitted that the dangers posing the tournament due to the threat level in France means that such decisions need to be taken.
"We can't accept unorganised gatherings because police forces don't have the means to secure them," he said. "And a live screening on a terrace means gathering around a screen.
"It's better to have just one very secured area than letting thousands of people without match tickets gather in disorganised fashion," Braillard added, as well as confirming that the official fan zones would be “lively places”.
However, Bernard Marty, the head of the UMIH hotel industry union in Marseille where England face Russia on Saturday in their opening Euro 2016 fixture, has criticised the decision and feels it will impact smaller businesses financially.
"The government should coordinate better with its officials so we could figure out better what is going on," Marty said.
"Maybe they want to boost Marseille's economy in the fan zone only, at the expense of all other retail traders who made investments."
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