The euphoria was short-lived. In the evening Monday evening, after 56 days of confinement, the police evacuated the black banks of the Canal Saint-Martin during the first day of deconfinement. Beers or rosé in hand, many young and old have taken advantage of the late afternoon sun to find themselves in numbers. Shocking images.
We returned to the scene Tuesday morning to gather the reaction of residents and traders. We also interviewed the mayor of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, Alexandra Cordebard (PS).
This Tuesday was a hangover on the canal, with the same amount of sunshine. On the sparse canal, most onlookers are masked and a little edgy by the carelessness of those who gathered the day before to enjoy their first day of deconfinement.
Friends, beers, hugs ...
The May 11 audience was young, carefree and festive at aperitif time. A high-risk niche in this place identified by the authorities as very sensitive to the spread of the virus. "We are going to do pedagogy and increased police surveillance, to avoid these attempted rallies," explains Alexandra Cordebard, mayor of the 10th arrondissement.
"What is also essential, given the density of the borough, is to offer larger walking areas to residents, by opening the gardens and restricting traffic."
No alcohol
After the scenes of last night, Christophe Castaner, Minister of the Interior, asked the police headquarters to ban the consumption of alcohol along the Saint-Martin canal and the banks of the Seine.
Even traders, who can usually sell take-out alcohol, welcome this "wise decision" as the owner of the Petit Carillon says. "It may impact us, but I am reacting as a citizen and I do not want a second wave" of the epidemic in France, he said.
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If many understand "this momentum of life before", the majority of residents campaign for a continuity of gestures of distancing, so as not to ruin the efforts that were so difficult during confinement.