100,000 join protest after beach is closed to protect holidaying Saudi king

More than 100,000 people signed a petition protesting at the closure of a beach to protect the Saudi king on a holiday in the French Riviera. They are angry after security services closed a 1km stretch of sand outside the king’s exclusive seafront property in Vallauris, which lies between Cannes and Antibes. Coastguards will stop anyone coming within 300 metres of the villa by sea. Residents are also upset that tonnes of concrete was poured on to the sand to create a private lift for the visiting monarch and his 1,000-strong entourage. “I can see it’s normal that you need to guarantee their security but they should let us go for a swim,” said one resident.

We recall that this natural zone, like all maritime public estates, is an intrinsic public property that should be available for the benefit of all, residents, tourists, French, foreigners or people passing through

Petition against beach closure

The Saudi monarch is expected to stay at his villa for three weeks. He and his entourage arrived at Nice airport on Saturday on board two Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747s. The king’s inner circle is staying at the villa - between Antibes and Marseille - while about 700 others will stay at hotels in Cannes. Michel Chevillon, president of an association of Cannes’ hotel managers, said the visit was good for hotels and the local economy. “These are people with great purchasing power,” he added.

The economic impact for us, but also restaurants, chauffeurs and all those who worked at his villa, is real.

Serge Reinhard, director of the four-star Hotel Montaigne in Cannes

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