Society | VIDEO. “We are taken for idiots”: faced with the opening of the shooting room in Marseille, anger rises

2023-10-18 11:47:18

“No to the shooting room“, we can read in red letters on the wooden doors of 110, boulevard de la Libération. Since the announcement of the location of the lower-risk consumption room at the end of last week, the discontent of local residents is growing. magnitude and the opposition is stepping up.

It was inside the future 400m2 shaded and tree-lined premises that Bruno Gilles, former mayor of the 4th and 5th arrondissements of Marseille, held a press point to present his vision of the situation. “Our concern goes beyond the fear of local residents and traders. It should still be noted that there are 13 establishments welcoming children nearby.“, immediately underlines the elected opposition official and member of the Horizons party.

In front of an audience of angry residents, already gathered Monday evening on rue Consolat to form a protest movement, the elected official mentioned “the absence of consultation and negotiations“upstream of the project while residents deplore the”lack of transparency” in the process that led to this decision.

“Bringing back Benoît Payan and Michèle Rubirola”

“It’s unthinkable to have chosen this place, believes Bruno Gilles. It’s even the worst place. Sophie Camard did not accept the project in 1/7, and they handed the baby over to us in the 4th and we learned about it through the press once everything was settled, it was too easy. They talk to us about consultation after the fact but they take us for idiots.“

A press point was held this afternoon within the confines of the future lower-risk consumption room, at 110 boulevard de la Libération, in the presence of the former mayor of the sector and angry local residents.

Gilles BADER

For several days, residents of the area have expressed a fear of seeing their neighborhood deteriorate and fear possible insecurity linked to frequentation of the future place. “We are shocked and disappointed. Our neighborhood is quiet and it will only bring us problems. We were looked down upon in this decision but we will fight to preserve our way of life“, said a resident, who has lived opposite the premises for three decades.

To succeed, the project must still be signed by the Ministry of Health. In the meantime, the elected opposition representative of 4/5, Bruno Gilles, hopes to bring his demands this Friday to the municipal council and “push back Benoît Payan and Michèle Rubirola“, who have been following the project since their election.

A mobilization is also planned in front of the town hall on Friday at 8:15 a.m. at the initiative of local residents and the CIQ Longchamp-Flammarion. Several petitions against the opening of the room, including one from the CIQ and one from Marseille first brought by Reconquête senator Stéphane Ravier, are already online.