French Riviera on its feet: "No" to closing the beach for the Saudi king who wants to rest in peace

More than 100,000 people have signed a petition against closing a beach on the French Riviera so that Saudi King Salman can rest in privacy, the BBC reports, as reported by the Patria news agency. The petition emphasizes that the public beach in Vallauris must be "accessible to everyone".

- We remind you that this beach, like any public maritime property, is an inalienable public good that must be accessible to everyone, locals, tourists, French citizens, foreigners, or mere passers-by, the petition states.

- We demand that the state guarantee the fundamental right to equality of all citizens before the law, it is added.

Authorities closed the beach on Saturday morning, wanting to prevent demonstrators from occupying it before the king's arrival for a vacation at his villa in the area, where he is expected to stay for three weeks.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, with an entourage of a thousand people, arrived at Nice airport on Saturday on Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747s. The closest circle of the king's retinue will stay at the villa - between Antibes and Marseille - while the other seven hundred will stay in hotels in Cannes.

Leaders of the local hotel association emphasize that this tourist visit by the Saudi king is "good news" for hotels and the local economy.