Battle of Côte d'Azur: French Furious at Saudi Royals for Blocking Beach

Residents of a French Riviera town are infuriated with the Saudi royal family, after a tunnel that leads to a picturesque public beach was fenced off on Wednesday as a part of security preparations ahead of the royals’ visit to their Côte d'Azur mansion.

Local police have been advised to remove the illegal concrete slab roadblock, according to the mayor of the town of Vallauris, Michelle Salucki, Nice Matin reported.

Residents of the town, which is also home to the Saudi royal family’s mansion, flew into a rage after access to their favorite beach, Mirandole, was blocked. The concrete obstruction fully impeded access a tunnel beneath the coastal railway, the only way to get to the seaside.

But the roadblock might not turn out to be against the law.

According to local official Philippe Castanet, the sub-prefect of the local town of Grasse, the blocking of the passage was done prematurely, but negotiations between France and the Saudis about the royal family spending their vacation on the Riviera were due to finish soon.

“This public beach will be completely closed off during the Saudi royal family’s visit,” he stated.

“We are still negotiating how they will be protected, by security agents or police, whether or not areas will be fenced off from the public, and exactly when we will be able to re-establish full public access to the beach.”