Le Figaro Nantes
This is a first in Saint-Brévin-les-Pins. On Saturday, a symposium entitled "Welcoming exiles: Why? How?" will take place from 10am to 19.30pm in the seaside town of Loire-Atlantique. A significant event in this town that has seen many demonstrations related to the relocation and expansion of a reception center for asylum seekers near a school.
According to the description of the day, the objective is to "take stock of migration and the reception of exiles in France and Europe and to specify what should be adignified welcome, respectful of human rights". "While hatred of foreigners and far-right speeches are unleashed, the effects of migration policies are catastrophic, solidarity with exiles is more essential thanever," says the website of the Collective of Brévinois Attentive and Solidarity (CBAS), organizer with the League of Human Rights (LDH), the Movement against Racism and for Friendship between Peoples (MRAP) and Caritas-Catholic Relief.
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A security device deployed
If no demonstration has been declared on the sidelines of these conferences, ultra-right individuals could try to disrupt the rally. Members of the ultra-left could then respond. A security device will be put in place but the prefecture does not wish to communicate on it. "At the request of the prefecture, the cinema and the aquatic center will be closed this Saturday," says the town hall of Saint-Brévin.
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We have made security arrangements. There will be security agents, "abounds Philippe Croze, the president of the Collective of Brévinois Attentive and Solidarity, engaged in pro-Cada rallies in the past. This time, "we did not want to enter into a logic of demonstration and counter-demonstration due to the transfer of the Cada", says the one who regrets a speech aimed at "talking about these permanent clashes between the extreme right and ultra-left". For him, this conference, which suffered a small "attack" during online bookings, must be a "moment of reflection that must be peaceful". "If in France, we can no longer demonstrate by bringing intellectuals and academics to talk about a subject, and immediately it agitates right-wing extremist circles, it becomes serious.
»More than 400 people, from Loire-Atlantique and the Paris region, are expected after a welcome from the mayor, Dorothée Pacaud, in office since June 10 after the resignation of Yannick Morez, whose cars and part of his house had been set on fire. The city makes available free of charge the room of the Jade Star reveals Philippe Croze: "It is a loan as for any association in Brevinoise are entitled to a room loan. We pay the cleaning fee."
" READ ALSO Resignation of the mayor of Saint-Brevin: the country is going through "a deep civic crisis", warns David Lisnard
'A provocation'
Opposite, the collective for the preservation of the Harnessed Stone, named after the school near which the Cada is to open at the end of the year, assures Le Figaro that it has not planned a demonstration: "The collective has decided not to respond to the provocation that this conference represents at a time when many Brévinois do not wish to welcome other asylum seekers and are always more likely to be opposed to the installation of 110 adults in the school of the Harnessed Stone for many obvious reasons of common sense".
In a tense context, "the town hall does not realize the disorder that will represent this position in favor of the reception of new migrants". They also denounce "the choice of the mayor to continue to impose these adults by force in Saint Brévin" which "seems to have the vocation to create even more discord locally". They add that "this conference is logically experienced as a provocation by the more than 70% of French people who are opposed to the arrival of these people". 71% of French people believe that current immigration is too high in France according to a study by the think-tank Confrontations Europe and the Viavoice institute conducted from
August 28 to September 5, 2023.
On Sunday, a picnic was initially planned the day after the conference. It was to gather all the foreigners of Saint-Brévin in order to be a "melting pot of cultures, dances". It was finally cancelled because "the material conditions were not met", according to Philippe Croze of the Collective of Brévinois Attentive and Solidary. "All the equipment was taken by a sporting event": the barnum, the podium and the chairs were not available.
Who will speak at the conference?
After the mayor's welcome remarks, three highlights are organized, during which registrants will be able to debate. According to the pre-programme, from 10:30 to 12:30, the theme "The reasons for exile and economic and demographic realities" will be discussed with Catherine Wihtol de Wenden (political scientist) and François Héran (sociologist, anthropologist, demographer). From 14h to 16h30, the Green MEP Damien Carême should make the trip to talk about "European migration policies". Before giving way to a journalist from Mediapart and/or Louis Imbert (sociologist and journalist) for "Evolution of political discourse on migration and the manufacture of opinion". From 17pm to 19pm, a person from Gisti (Information and Support Group for Immigrants) and a member of La Cimade (which defends the dignity and rights of refugees and migrants) will talk about the "Right of residence and the Darmanin law". Before a conclusion by the organizers.
