The festival that failed: the events of May 1284 (Lille and Douai)

In the spring of 1284, the refusal by the Douai people of letting the Lille inhabitants take part in the jousting tournaments organized for the Rosier Festival led to these latter's anger. They displayed it by organizing in t he streets of Douai a violent parade of the racket type. The Douai response consisted in an anti-Lille people riot, and above all by a xenophobic and hatred-fraught behavior whose forms were numerous. On both sides, in the co urse of the months of May and June, the youth organized horse rides. Howeve r there were no casualties. Both parties endeavored to remain within the bo und of symbolic actions that could have resulted in real warfare and that n either the city authorities nor the Count would have tolerated. The groups of youths were the driving force in the troubles. They were also under the control of the political authorities.