The fact of the matter is that terrorist attacks at public events are a tragic reality, so isn’t better to be prepared? The below video has garnered mixed responses from Cannes invitees causing some to rethink their attendance of this year’s edition.
On April 21, a terror attack simulation was staged at the venue for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. Parts of the drill were captured on video and viewed all over the internet. The exercise shows the police firing blank rounds on the steps of the Palais des Festivals, while a group of terrorists run towards the buildings. The mock attack also included medical teams tending to the wounded civilians who lay on the floor in red jackets.
(Courtesy : rivieramagazine.fr)
Hollywood Reporter was able to get some comments from some of the festival invitees and the reactions aren’t exactly positive. Yuhka Matoi, a Japanese TV executive, said: “I wasn’t thinking about it until [the video] … Maybe I’ll stay away from the red carpet [this year]”; while German film CEO Alexander van Dülmen said: “Anyone who goes to Cannes knows the French are good at putting on a show. I hope the security video wasn’t just a performance to convince us they are prepared.”
The mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, defended the exercise, saying, “The exercise is not reality, but the exercise helps to prepare for the reality and to limit the risk. The risks are changing … The buildings were designed 30 years ago when security issues were not the same.” Claire-Anne Reix, president of the Palais des Festivals, said, “It’s not frightening. What should be frightening is all the videos you see on the internet, not the coverage of an exercise.”
—–(Source : The Guardian)
Watch the simulation here :
