Dozens and dozens of stalls extend over two lines on the median of the boulevard de Belleville (11th). Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, for nearly a kilometer, a dense crowd rushes into one of the largest, cosmopolitan and cheaper markets in Paris, with those of Barbès and Ornano (18th century ).
Good deals, badly worn masks and unprotected stands
You can even do business there until the last minutes, to take advantage of unsold Rungis offered at unbeatable prices. Food distributions are also organized in partnership with several associations.
Only here: its density, the anarchy which reigns there sometimes, have been pointed out for years by many residents and customers of the Belleville and Saint-Maur districts, who even wrote, four years ago, a series of proposals to improve the functioning of the premises. In vain.
And, it was finally the health crisis, which punctually allowed them to win their case, with a reduction of half the shelves ... Until the situation returned to the same. "With an additional problem: we fear now too, for our health! annoys a client this Friday on the median. Okay, most people make the effort to put on a mask, but most of the stands aren't even protected with plastic film! And how to respect a minimum of distance in this crowd? "
Fewer merchants and more health security
“After deconfinement, only one of the two lines was maintained. This made it possible not only to respect physical distance, but also to calm the market. The situation of women and security have been greatly improved, in particular, underlines the community of residents of Belleville-Saint-Maur, in a letter sent in recent days to the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. The queues in front of the stands had not increased, even though the number of stands was reduced. This arrangement also made it possible for the market to finally fulfill its social function, by making it possible to stop to meet, without creating traffic jams and without being constantly jostled. Finally, by halving the number of trucks, the nuisance and pollution generated by this market were reduced ”.
Helping traders who have suffered
Reduce the size of the Belleville market? The City, for its part, plans rather to focus on health prevention, with those who frequent it, but also with traders to whom a letter will be sent, recalling the need to wear a mask and protect the stalls: "We we first restored the food stands, then the non-food stand, and finally, authorized everyone to return, explains Olivia Polski, the trade assistant of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. We have returned to the system before Covid. "
"It is normal," she explains, "that traders who have suffered severely, like their families, during four months of inactivity, sometimes without the slightest income, have the possibility of working again. To be able to live and eat normally. They also tell me, quite rightly, that the supermarkets are probably more dangerous than the outdoor shops. And the return of the stalls is also beneficial for customers of this popular and very inexpensive market, which allows them to buy quality food at modest prices… ”
It remains to be seen whether the wearing of the mandatory mask in all places closed this Monday will change the perception of the inhabitants and not further inflate the attendance of Parisian markets.