"I can't take it any longer, I took my suitcase and went to my mother's house in Brittany." For several months, Claire (the first names have been changed) no longer sleeps. This resident of the rue des Poissonniers, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, lives above a restaurant "which conceals a dancing bar". “It lasts non-stop, every day, until 4 am. Our floor is their ceiling, it vibrates in our apartment. ”
If the confinement had left a little respite for Claire and her family, the nuisances started again at the time of the deconfinement. They have even worsened with the extension of the authorized terraces until 10 p.m. A schedule that the restaurant in question does not seem to respect. "We do not sleep, communication is impossible with the manager and the police do not intervene for noise pollution", laments the young woman.
Sometimes, the exchanges between residents go much further, to the point of coming to blows.
Disfigured for asking for the music to turn down
In a more chic 18th century district, at the foot of the Sacré-Coeur, Anne-Sophie and Robin can no longer hear music under their window. “It lasts every night from May 11 until no time. We let them celebrate the deconfinement for a short week, then we went down several times to ask them to stop, ”explains the young woman. “They turned it up even louder by giving us the middle finger. After several calls to the police, we are told that they do not come because of the noise at night. ”
Without help from the police and exasperated after several attempts at communication, Robin comes down from his house and, in anger, throws their speaker to the ground. A real lynching follows. The young man is beaten up by the group of revelers. Results: a plastered face and 17 days of ITT. A complaint is in progress.
“The worst thing is that since my assault the same people have continued. We continue to call the police, we sent several letters to the town hall which remained unanswered. We are completely on our own, ”continues Robin. "We had been told that rue Lamarck was a peaceful neighborhood in the 18th district, I did not expect to be confronted with this kind of nuisance and even less to be beaten up downstairs from my house."
Fighting, alcohol and prostitution
In the working-class district of Château-Rouge, the inhabitants of rue Poulet are also at their wit's end. "The confinement was a wonderful time, I was able to experience the window open for the first time in eight years!" says Fabien. “But with the deconfinement, it started again. It's even worse! ”
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But these nuisances actually existed long before the confinement. “The nuisances are night and day,” continues Fabien. “It starts very early in the morning around 7 am with the washers of the town hall of Paris, then with the deliveries of the stores. It generates a permanent noise, it is unlivable. "
“The worst is at night,” continues Emma, who lives in the building next door. “After 8 pm, the nightly street vendors set up downstairs from our house, others have barbecues on caddies talking loudly. Sometimes I get woken up at 2 am in the middle of the night by a fight, ”adds Emma, who has lived in social housing on rue Poulet for twelve years. “Not to mention the prostitutes who have arguments with their alcoholic clients,” adds Fabien.
Faced with these nuisances and without "concrete help from the municipality", Claire, Fabien, Anne-Sophie and Robin plan to leave the 18th century.
For its part, the town hall ensures that it has put in place a number of measures with the municipal police. “We went from 1,300 to 3,400 agents (Editor's note: throughout Paris) in the prevention and protection department. Regarding Château-Rouge, we have seen a real decline in all of the neighborhood's difficulties, particularly thanks to the Sauvette brigade, ”underlines Sarah Proust, first deputy mayor in the 18th century.
"A rise in incivility in recent months"
Emmanuelle Oster, the 18th century commissioner, recognizes for her part a rise in incivility in the district in recent months. "The period of deconfinement in the 18th century was very complicated because there was no progressivity", explains the commissioner in office in the district for two years. "There has been a longing for freedom, in particular due to the uncontrolled phenomenon of ephemeral terraces."
In fact, since June, bars and restaurants can obtain authorizations to extend or create terraces. These temporary spaces can be operated from 8 am to 10 pm every day, but in the 18th century, the rule does not always seem to be well respected by the establishments.
“There are very clear abuses of a number of them who do not respect the closing hours. As early as May, we received a lot of calls from the population. ”
But once the establishments are closed, the nuisance continues. “Nightlife in the street has developed considerably, including in more upscale areas of the borough, which has created conflicts between residents and these open-air businesses. We have set up the sanctuary of a night vehicle that handles calls for noise at night from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Unfortunately, all the districts of the 18th century are now confronted with this kind of nuisance, we cannot be everywhere. ”
VIDEO. Noise pollution after deconfinement: "I packed my suitcase and I left"