Left-wing supporters of a Paris theatre occupied by hundreds of migrants have called for authorities to urgently intervene to rehouse them – so they can get back to their work of fighting ‘imperialism’ and climate denial.
The radical management of the Gaîté Lyrique welcomed in asylum seekers as part of an event more than 80 days ago, but they have refused to leave since, driving the venue towards bankruptcy with all shows and events cancelled.
Some 200 mainly young men moved in last December when the management gave them free tickets to a ‘Refugees Welcome in France ‘ conference, but their numbers have now swelled to more than 440.
The crisis at the theatre – one of the French capital’s most historic arts venues – has been ‘so explosive’ that its staff declared they would retreat by today amid an increasingly ‘desperate’ situation.
The sixty or so employees are said to be ‘exhausted’, with ‘morale at zero’ amid reports of sex-related violence and ‘deplorable’ conditions in the 600 metre squared area where hundreds of people are crammed.
An open letter published yesterday and signed by more than 300 ‘cultural, political and civil society actors’, calls on Paris authorities to save the theatre so it can go back to how things were before it turned into makeshift accommodation.
‘The Gaîté must not fall victim to what makes it vibrate: its resonance with the times and its dramas!’ the letter by the left-wing creatives stated – appearing to pile blame on authorities for the chaos, rather than those occupying the theatre.
It said that while the Gaîté was previously ‘a popular and economic success’ which allowed people to come together to ‘decipher the era and face together the challenges of our time’, it can now ‘no longer fulfill its mission’ due to the crisis.
The number of migrants occupying the theatre has risen over recent weeks to around 440
Pictures from inside the theatre show people sleeping on tables in cramped conditions
An isolated minor sitting on a chair and sleeping with his arms on a table during the occupation
‘For 80 days, the Gaîté Lyrique has been occupied by more than 400 young people and no solution to end the crisis or provide shelter has been found,’ the letter, which was shared by the theatre’s management, reads.
‘The place is in no way suitable for this occupation and the teams, valiant and united, are facing this dramatic situation with dignity.
‘Closed to the public, the Gaîté Lyrique has had to cancel countless events, its activity is at a standstill. It is a cultural and social lung of the city that is no longer breathing.’
The theatre and its backers have repeatedly laid the blame for the situation with local authorities and the French government.
In December, Paris’s Socialist-led council, which owns the building, claims it looked for accommodation for the migrants but that none was available.
It called for the government to deal with the problem, but President Emmanuel Macron ‘s centrist cabinet is said to have ignored the request and is reluctant to get involved in the debacle.
The theatre is owned by the City of Paris, which is dominated by Socialists and Greens.
A judge at the Paris Administrative Court ordered the evacuation of the building on February 13, but the council has refused to involve the police.
The open letter was published on the same day as a statement released by the theatre’s management.
It warned that ‘Without intervention by the authorities by Friday, the Gaîté Lyrique company and its teams will be forced to leave the building.’
Some 200 mainly young men moved into the Paris theatre last December when the management gave them free tickets to a ‘Refugees Welcome in France’ conference
Local officials have insisted that those living inside are adults and that most are known to the authorities and had been sleeping on the streets before entering the theatre
It says they will ‘suspend the execution of the contracts of service providers in charge of fire safety, security, hygiene and cleanliness, maintenance, and waste collection.’
Management warn of an ‘explosive and undignified situation’ that is ‘increasing in severity’.
Beyond fights breaking out because of sexual tensions, migrants have been seen dealing and using drugs.
Staff have been acting as ‘on-site security guards, even though this is neither their skill set nor their job,’ says the statement.
Despite this, the statement says staff have also been ‘welcoming and sheltering the occupants’.
Dozens of migrants, the majority of whom are from African countries, are seen in an area of the Gaîté Lyrique cultural centre
Daily demonstrations were held on the steps of the theatre, which is known for hosting radical performances
Videos show huge crowds gathering at the ‘general assemblies’, which begin with drums being banged and slogans blared through megaphones
The migrants are being supported by political activists even more Left-wing than the theatre’s management.
Calling themselves the Collectif des Jeunes du Parc de Belleville – after a Parisian park – they view the occupation as being part of the ‘anti-racist and anti-colonial struggle’.
Local businesses have complained of losses due to the occupation.
The bistrot next to the 19th-century venue, a popular spot for theatregoers to eat and drink before and after shows, has reported €30,000 in lost revenue so far.
‘They are ruining my business,’ the manager Elia, herself the daughter of Algerian migrants, told The Times in December.
‘They hang around outside my terrace, smoking joints and fighting among themselves. Not only do we no longer get theatregoers because the theatre is shut but we don’t get passers-by either. They’re being frightened away by all these young men.’
The 1,800-seat building that houses the current Gaîté Lyrique was built in 1862 and became celebrated for staging operettas by Jacques Offenbach, the German-born French composer, in the 19th century.
On November 1, France reinforced its borders with six of its neighbouring Schengen members – Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland – with increased checks.
The controls were applied to travellers entering France via land, sea and air routes from all six nations and will last until April 1, 2025 – but authorities have said they could be extended further.
A French government statement declared the checks were introduced due to ‘serious threats to public policy, public order, and internal security posed by high-level terrorist activities… criminal networks facilitating irregular migration and smuggling, and migration flows that risk infiltration by radicalised individuals’.
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