The "bouquinistes" of Paris - the traditional stalls with books along the sidewalks of the Seine - will contest before the judge the order according to which hundreds of them will have to dismantle their installation for a few days on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the next July 26th.
In the general assembly of the Cultural Association of Bouquinistes of Paris, around 130 of them - out of a total of 180 members - decided to bring "judicial action in the administrative tribunal" to contest the provisions to their detriment.
According to their president, Jérôme Callais, "the fact that this action was voted unanimously demonstrates the importance of the topic and the dramatic consequences that a closure would have".
Last Monday, the prefecture, which justifies the closure "for a few days" with the safety imperatives for the organization of the opening parade along the Seine, had taken a step in the direction of the "bouquinistes" by accepting "to sacrifice some areas which will consequently not be open to the public. This - the prefecture had specified - to safeguard over 170 stalls".
The number of those that should therefore be dismantled has currently fallen from a total of 604 to 428, in practice less than half of the 932 that stand along the high banks of the Parisian river.
Despite this proposal, Callais underlined that the "bouquinistes" "have nothing to lose" by going to the judge to ask for "the non-seizure" of the stalls or "in extremaratio" a "worthy and respectful" compensation of the small booksellers who work outside opened and whose activity has been registered in the French intangible cultural heritage with a view to recognition in the UNESCO world heritage list.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA