Liberté, égalité... but French try to ban the rave fraternity Â

The tribes of the French rave movement were massing yesterday for what may turn out to be their last stand. The frontier of France and Italy, high in the Alps, was the battleground chosen by the ravers for a confrontation with the French government, which they claim is engaged in a "genocidal war" against youth culture, techno music and large rave parties.

The French authorities have pledged to enforce rigorously a new law, giving them the power to seize the sound equipment at any rave that takes place without written permission. The ravers said the government has blocked all reasonable efforts to seek such permission in recent weeks. They insisted that Europe's biggest rave of the year, the Teknival – due to last until Sunday, and attract up to 20,000 people and dozens of bands or "sound systems" from several countries – would go ahead regardless.

They took the precaution of pitching their battle lines, tents and giant amplifiers a few hundred yards over the frontier, inside Italy. By last night, however, few sound systems had arrived.

The French government had closed the most direct mountain road from France to the Teknival site, beside a lake on the Col de Larche, just east of Gap. Musicians and festival-goers were forced to make a long detour through Italy, delaying the start of the four days of raving.

In this "last stand", the role of Colonel George Custer is being played by the new French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is determined to make his name as the man who restored law and order to France. He has engaged in a series of draconian policies and gestures in the past three months, including a circular ordering an unbending enforcement of a new law, introduced by the previous government, which bans unauthorised raves.

The role of Sitting Bull, or Crazy Horse, has been thrust on the unlikely figure of Allan Blinkhorn, 38, born in Liverpool and raised in Winsford, Cheshire, who fled to France 12 years ago to escape "the Criminal Justice Bill and Thatcherism". In recent years, Mr Blinkhorn, once a member of the British electric rock band Spiral Tribe, has emerged as one of the principal spokesmen of the rave, techno or "free party" movement in France.

Perhaps the stand-off on the Col de Larche will go down in history as the battle of the little Blinkhorn against the combined strength of the French state.

"I would not call myself a leader but I have become someone people trust," Mr Blinkhorn told The Independent. "I have been to the Élysée. I have been to Matignon [the seats of the French President and Prime Minister, respectively]. I have been involved in negotiations for months now with various parts of the French state.

"Sometimes the last government would talk to us reasonably. Sometimes they wouldn't. But this new government will not talk to us sensibly at all. Their attitude is against youth, against liberty. They want to commit genocide on the rave movement."

Mr Blinkhorn says that the world of techno music and raves – somewhat passé in Britain but still popular in France – has "moved on" from the days when an authorised rave would have been a contradiction in terms.

"We are not against the principle of advance permission for raves and guarantees of security and whatever. But they have to talk sense to us. We are now told that, if 20,000 people are expected on a site, we have to provide 20,000 chairs. Chairs at a rave? Be serious."

Mr Blinkhorn is married to a French woman, has a small child and lives in the Ardèche to the west of the Rhône valley. He has not been to Britain for 12 years and speaks in a kind of northern English franglais. He refers to the "government French genocide", rather than the "genocidal, French government" and the "movement free" instead of the "free movement", but his meaning – and anger – are clear.

What is also clear is that he has been categorised by the French government as a man they no longer want to deal with. Four weeks ago, he and several other rave organisers were placed under criminal investigation for "furthering the use of illegal drugs". The only evidence offered against them was that they had helped to arrange raves at which banned drugs, such as ecstasy, are known to be available.

Aversion to raves has not been invented by Mr Sarkozy. The previous, Socialist-led government came under enormous pressure to regulate the 700-plus raves a year – many of them small – which take place in France. Neighbours complained about the noise and the blocked roads. There was widespread, and understandable, concern about drugs.

But Mr Blinkhorn claims that the new centre-right government – driving an agenda partly shaped by the success of the far right in the first round of the presidential election – has mis-read the situation.

"Techno and raves have grown up, which is the fate which befalls all new forms of music and youth culture. We were ready to make deals but they are driving us underground again," he said.

On Wednesday night Mr Blinkhorn tried to retaliate against the government, using tactics copied from farmers and other French malcontents. He urged ravers heading for the Teknival to gather at two toll stations on the main French motorway route to the south and drive in convoy as slowly as possible. This is called an "operation escargot" or snail operation.

Mr Blinkhorn threatened "500 kilometres of bouchons" (traffic jams). In the event, only a few score cars took part in the demonstration, causing some tailbacks but nothing out of the ordinary for what is a long bank holiday weekend.

The decision to site the Teknival just over the Italian border also seemed to be a point scored by Mr Sarkozy. Earlier, the organisers had announced that the party would take place "somewhere in the south of France". They insisted that the frontier venue was intended as partly a statement of defiance, partly a gesture of goodwill.

In truth, they may have had little choice. Owners and operators of the sound systems that drive techno music have become wary of venturing into France and risking the seizure of their gear, which can be worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Whatever the success of this weekend's festival, the large rave or "free party" movement may be doomed in France. Rave and techno fans are already turning to smaller parties, using cheap, disco-type equipment.

As Mr Blinkhorn and others point out, such events will be more dangerous and less willing to compromise with the concerns of local people.

Measures are taken to try to prevent drug overdoses, or the sale of rogue drugs, at the big raves. There will be no such protections if the movement scatters. "Sarkozy says he is cracking down on crime," Mr Blinkhorn said. "But he is making us all into criminals."