Iconic Paris venue struggles as 350 young migrants protest by sleeping in hallways

Almost 350 people are protesting at an iconic Parisian cultural venue located in the Marais district, sleeping on mattresses in cramped communal spaces.

The demonstration at La Gaîté Lyrique in the city's Marais district is the work of Belleville Park Youth Collective, an organisation founded by minors and young adults from sub-Saharan Africa who now live in France.

The action began on 10 December, when members of the collective streamed into the venue, holding protest banners and signs. By the end of the night, there were 200 people in the building.

"They told us 'sorry, we won't be moving'. Temperatures were about to drop below zero degrees and many had nowhere to go", David Robert, La Gaîté Lyrique's spokesperson told Euronews.

"We [the venue's management] were faced with the tough decision of whether we should call the police to evacuate the premises. However, we knew that this would involve violence and that these young people would end up sleeping on the streets if no solution was found."

According to the collective, many of the protesters arrived in France as unaccompanied minors, but were refused this legal status when they went through French immigration assessment centres.

Individuals can lodge an appeal to contest such decisions, but obtaining a court date can take up to a year.

France has seen a growing influx of unaccompanied minors in recent years, with the number of arrivals rising 14,782 in 2022 to 19,730 in 2023.

The protesters at the venue — who are mostly men — have been sleeping in a large communal space, and there is a separate closed-off area for women on the site.

"The occupation is forcible, but how could we have kicked out send hundreds of young adults and make them sleep on the streets in freezing temperatures?" Robert explained. "We decided we would negotiate their departure in a concerted manner."

But more than a month later, the situation is becoming increasingly tense, with 150 more people now sleeping in the building. While the venue kept its doors open to the public for the first week of the protest, it closed on 17 December, cancelling all productions, exhibitions and concerts.

With its external revenue sources now cut off, La Gaîté Lyrique's management is under growing pressure. The venue may belong to the city of Paris — from which it receives some funding — but it is largely self-funded.

"We can only go on like this for a matter of weeks", Robert told Euronews. "We are in daily discussions with the Paris City Council, but a solution has yet to be put forward as to how to rehouse these young people."

This is not the first time that the Belleville Park Youth Collective has occupied a Parisian building. Last summer, hundreds of young migrants took over the cultural venue Maison des Métallos, located in Paris' 11th arrondissement, staying for three months. The collective ultimately managed to negotiate the temporary evacuation of the protesters.

La Gaîté Lyrique is known as a community space as well as a cultural venue, likely one of the reasons that the Belleville Park Youth Collective chose it. Since its closure, it has put weekly food handouts to vulnerable people on hold.

"When we were up and running, our large free and heated spaces were open to the public during the day, granting free access to phone chargers and clean toilets," Robert said. "Many people living on the streets come here in the day, some of the faces which are occupying the building are familiar."

At loggerheads

The situation at La Gaîté Lyrique is proving hard to resolve because the City of Paris is at loggerheads with the French government over what to do.

In an open letter addressed to Mayor Anne Hidalgo and published in French newspaper Libération, La Gaîté Lyrique's management explained their frustration.

"Every day we hear the same thing, 'the pressure is not strong enough on the State.'"

"The State is saying the same thing, passing the onus to the City of Paris, and we have lost hope that it will intervene to find a solution for rehousing."

Speaking to Euronews, a representative from the city authorities stated that "this new occupation [of La Gaîté Lyrique] is the latest in a series of occupations of municipal buildings where the government has failed to intervene."

"While we regret the occupation of the Gaîté Lyrique, we wish to express our support for the homeless young adults who have found shelter there."

According to figures collected by the city, 3,492 people are currently living on the streets.

"We need the state to requisition places that we have already listed: former high schools, empty hotels, etc. There are plenty of places in Paris", Léa Filoche, the Paris Mayor's Deputy for Solidarity, Emergency Accommodation and Refugee Protection told France Info.

France's Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau has taken a tough stance on immigration, repeatedly calling for the country to "take back control".