50, rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, in Paris (10th district).
We are a stone's throw from the Borough Hall.
But here, according to residents, "it's a real no man's land".
For more than two years, all have been highlighting the extension of the terraces of a restaurant, then of a second opened more recently, frequented by single men and highly alcoholic.
“Here,” explains one of them, “we don't come to eat but only to consume alcohol.
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Insults, threats, exponential terraces depriving pedestrians of the passage, fights, assaults, public drunkenness, drug consumption, urine effusion on the sidewalks… “It is a very small portion of the boulevard that we are being suppressed.
We are no longer welcome at home, annoys Emmanuel, one of the residents.
But what we are experiencing is beyond words.
Every day, women are assaulted, the terraces overflow and, on May 29, we reached a point of no return: several fights followed one another between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., always with the restaurant located at number 50 as its origin. What people are going through is indecent.
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"Open-air urinals"
The testimonies of local residents follow each other indefinitely. "Alcoholic people, with very aggressive behavior, bother us", say some. "I confess to you that I, too, can't take the dirt and violence anymore," said another. They are open-air urinals! And for the first time in months, I was threatened with being stabbed by a drunk man. "My apartment cannot be rented," another enraged. “We have not frequented the Goublier passage for a long time,” notes one resident. The smell of urine made us flee. Like the crowd of alcoholic men… ”
The managers of the restaurants concerned did not wish to respond to our requests, but Alexandra Cordebard, the mayor (PS) of the 10th district, does not hide her anger. Nor his determination: “They have decided to make fun of the public authorities. In turn, I will not give any gifts. They will be kicked out of these companies. Even if the legal proceedings are long, we will succeed. I make it a real goal. My wish, clearly, is to definitively close these establishments, whose owners assume the non-respect of the laws. People want to relive, to have fun after this terrible health crisis. And I will accompany them: we want healthy and friendly activities in our streets! Not what is happening on rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin. I will see to it.The administrative closure procedures are complicated and unfortunately I can't help it. But I promise to monitor all of this. And to reduce delays as much as possible. "
"Fights with broken bottles and bloody people"
For weeks, the police have been monitoring the exercise of the bars in the tenth daily.
"And the procedures have been stepped up," confirms Alexandra Cordebard.
I am fortunate to have a police commissioner who is particularly involved in these themes.
And that rained an incredible number of VPs, and we will soon be able to count our municipal police brigade.
But, in spite of this, we are dealing with operators who seem to take great pleasure in remaining illegal, with a certain aggressiveness.
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The residents, for their part, claim "to live in fear": "Some of our calls to the police for fights with broken bottles and people bleeding, do not succeed ... The town hall is she aware the need to develop a diversified and attractive commercial offer? Will it take its responsibilities to preempt these businesses and recreate a commercial mix in the district? These establishments gradually colonize the streets and surround those who are trying to survive… ”