Paris: against brawls, meetings between young people from the neighborhoods

Successive confinements, closure of the rare sports and leisure facilities, random "distance" education for lack of equipment, curfew ... On the fringes of the 15th arrondissement, in the Falguière district where a width of railways and a footbridge separate from the 14th, young people are paying a heavy price for the pandemic.

Here, as in all the urban enclaves with which young people sometimes identify themselves so much that they become territories, to be defended against an often imaginary enemy, fed by social networks and adolescent disputes, the Covid-19 has done nothing but exacerbate an underlying tension.

It also makes the bed of "gang wars", which have always existed, but have increased tenfold in violence and no longer have anything to do with daddy's "War of the buttons".

A worrying psychological state

It is against these brawls, and beyond against the ill-being of its "confined generation", that an association chooses to bring together young people instead of opposing: EVS Necker-Falguière (*), l '' Social living space created 2 years ago by a group of residents, after the closure of the only social center in this landlocked neighborhood, is stepping up actions aimed at families, young people and seniors, between school support and local cafes, computer space, cooking workshops etc.

"The psychological state of young people has been worrying us for some time," underlines Selda Besnier, president of EVS Necker-Falguière. For example, children lacked digital tools for distance education, providing for this lack was complicated, not to mention our space had to close. This confinement in apartments that are too small, for children and adolescents who need to let off steam, has transformed our youth into pressure cookers ”. Street clashes, war between gangs rekindled, since December several bouts of fever have shaken the neighborhood. “What concerns us is to see increasingly young children becoming actors of this violence, and to see the impact of social networks, deplores Selda. However, there is an urgent need for a sort of “Marshall plan” for our children ”.

An original creation to unite young people

A round table is scheduled this Friday, July 2 at the 15th century town hall, on the theme "Young people and Covid, a generation to support", but in the streets of Falguière, debate is not enough. “We wanted to act on our small scale, confirms Selda. The idea was to unite our young people around what they like. Street art, music, sport ”. Thanks to Lisa Coop, an association of urban artists and musicians, EVS has set up its “Passer le pont” project, in a nod to the centenary of Brassens, and to the footbridge that connects the arrondissements. On the program, a musical creation and the realization of a fresco. We hope that the young people of the 14th and 15th centuries will cross the catwalk, ”slips Selda Besnier. From this Monday, some of them, like Garance, Alix, Alice and Sana, have come to “bomber” in the rainbow.Garance even came with her own bombs. So far they have only been used ... "on my bedroom door," smiles the teenager. “Later I want to go to an art school”. In the meantime Garance and her friends painted a big stylized “Hello”, setting the tone for the day. Next door, Cheikh the rapper and his friend Boboy, 22, discover computer-assisted music. "We learn, we discover, there I have a melody coming" smiles Cheikh. There is no tension here, “it's cool”. We say “Hello” to each other.Cheikh the rapper and his boyfriend Boboy, 22, discover computer-assisted music. "We learn, we discover, there I have a melody coming" smiles Cheikh. There is no tension here, “it's cool”. We say “Hello” to each other.Cheikh the rapper and his boyfriend Boboy, 22, discover computer-assisted music. "We learn, we discover, there I have a melody coming" smiles Cheikh. There is no tension here, “it's cool”. We say “Hello” to each other.

EVS Necker-Falguière