Accelerators of the future, this is the slogan that is displayed on the
walls of the Paris Region. And that is unfortunately true. The bulk ofthe events will take place in 93, the poorest department in mainland
France, ransacked to be transformed into a "showcase of France". Beyond
the disruption for residents during the ordeals, which will undoubtedly
then be forgotten, we must make the poor and poverty invisible, which
here inevitably causes a lot of damage, and lasting damage. The Olympic
Games are also a fantastic way to more quickly impose Greater Paris, a
tool for real estate speculation and gentrification, to the detriment of
the territories (new administrative name for the suburbs concerned).
The Olympic showcase or the Potemkin village (1)
The vision of poverty must not overshadow the Olympic Games, the
international showcase of France and Paris. But in 93, it's complicated.
Among the most visible poor people, there are migrants, who are often
black and therefore even more visible. The expulsions of squats
continued at an infernal pace until the winter break, and resumed as
soon as it ended. Only the most important or the most publicized were
mentioned in the press. We should particularly mention the evacuation of
a squat of nearly 300 people in Vitry last April. There were actually
more of them, probably 450, but many preferred to leave before the
expulsion. The expulsion of Unibéton in Saint Denis last fall also
caused quite a stir. For several years, the ministry has stopped
publishing the official number of expulsions, or even the end of procedures.
Some associations put forward the figure of 4,000 homeless people sent
to "airlocks" in the provinces since spring 2023, and the rate is
accelerating. The departure is supposedly voluntary, but otherwise it
means the destruction of tents, confiscation of belongings, etc. for
some, an OQTF for others, in any case the street. These "airlocks" are
generally planned for three weeks. According to official figures, nearly
3,000 people have passed through there since April 2023. There, social
sorting is carried out, OQTF for undocumented immigrants, emergency
housing for certain families, nothing for others. No one to follow the
administrative procedures in Paris and therefore the loss of the
possibility of papers. Obviously, many come back and re-set up their
tents. What else can they do? The rights defender, Claire Hédon, herself
"addressed" this "invisibility of undesirables" at the end of January.
There are also all those who are housed in precarious conditions. One
case made noise: the expulsion of students housed in CROUS to make room
for athletes, volunteers, employees, cops and firefighters. Even foreign
students will have to clear their path. Mobilization is very weak,
obviously the fear dominates of not getting a room back the following
year if we oppose this evacuation. We talk much less about all the
families that social services prefer to drop off at hotels rather than
find them accommodation. They too will have to make room for the influx
of people to be accommodated during the Olympics.
In short, the Olympics are an opportunity for a frantic hunt for the
poor, in line with the destruction of favelas during the World Cup in
Brazil. The associations have tried to react, but this is a very
precarious and vulnerable population, and as far as migrants are
concerned, the police deployment is impressive.
Less serious socially, but very symbolically speaking, while we recruit
all the young people around the Olympics, at National Education and in
leisure centers (see article in this issue), in Seine Saint Denis, the
Grants are reserved for projects that plan to take young people outside
the region. The "summer quarters" system is reoriented in this
direction. It is a system designed to offer activities to young people
during the summer, which has existed since 2020. It must be said that it
is a department where we rarely go on vacation, due to low income. Until
now, this system did not include a stay component. However, the
associations had started to put together their files since January. The
message is clear: get out during games. Let us specify that this aspect
only concerns the department of Seine Saint Denis, in the other
departments on the contrary it is the projects related to the Olympic
Games which have priority. In Seine Saint Denis, the other projects not
being more or less funded, for those who will not leave, return to the
"hold the walls" box. Some projects will be financed, but "over the
counter" with certain town halls. Clientelism when you hold us...
And speaking of patronage, 180,000 places should be distributed in the
department. To whom and on what criteria? Troussel (the socialist
president of the department) did not specify this. (2)
"Soft" mobility
Let's start with brutal mobility. To reduce traffic jams for athletes, a
motorway interchange is built at the Pleyel crossroads, famous for its
traffic jams. Its five straps will pass over a school of around 600
children. The numerous protests from parents, teachers and local
residents have not changed the project one bit. Of course, once the
Olympics are over, that will not change the traffic jams, they should
even get worse in the area. But the work and the pollution will remain.
This is the most famous example of the large, unnecessary road projects
caused by these "most environmentally friendly" games.
Let's move on to the first harshness of soft mobility: the double price
of the metro ticket. People who take transport to work (including
schoolchildren) most often have a pass. Tourists will be affected, but
being extorted is part of their economic function. The most precarious
will also be affected, those who do not travel often enough to have a
pass. And at EUR5 per ticket purchased on the non-connecting bus, we bet
that they will stay at home. How much can we bet that the ticket won't
go down afterwards?
The Olympic Games will be an opportunity to test Parisian transport. And
there, we will laugh. Currently, it's already hell, a hell that has
increased with the renovation work and their cut lines, not the same
every day and not on the same sections, it would be a shame to be able
to simply plan your route. We are told that 10 lines out of the 14 in
the metro will be heavily impacted. Bus lines will also be affected, as
will the RER B, C and D. We have been told about line extensions towards
the suburbs. In fact, they were usually already planned. The problem is
that it doesn't follow. When you extend a line, the crowds explode (yes,
the suburbs are populated). It is therefore necessary to put more trains
into service, otherwise they will be blocked. For line 14, 72 trains
would be needed (in ordinary times). There are 47 of them. For line 13,
famous for its congestion, the hiring of drivers has been announced, but
they will not be enough to fill the retirements planned after the
Olympics. And everything is to match.
In fact, the new RER lines or line extensions are not linked to the
Olympic Games but to Greater Paris, which the deadline for the Olympic
Games accelerates. These are enormous works, enormous tunnels are dug,
and the impact studies have been criticized for being weak and
incomplete. As we are in a hurry for the Olympics, not only will they
not be in depth, but the procedures are accelerated. With what
ecological impact and what risks for line safety? 390,000 m³ of partly
polluted land should land on the Bardouville landfill, in a natural
park. Furthermore, the route of these lines does not serve the
residents, but the projects of the technocrats. For example, Roissy will
be connected directly to Orly (it will not be ready for the Olympics).
Great! But who does this concern? Not so many Sequano-Dyonisians in any
case.
Unaccompanied minors from Belleville
Real estate speculation
Obviously, all these new lines planned for Greater Paris are accompanied
by intense real estate speculation. More than 250 hectares of offices
are planned in the areas of the 68 Grand Paris Express stations. To the
detriment of social housing (it must be said that the average waiting
time is only 7 years in Paris) and the rare green or even agricultural
spaces still existing (lines 17 and 18 in Val d'Oise and Saclay) . This
speculation also extends to the neighborhoods around the stations in
question, which go from the status of isolated neighborhoods to that of
neighborhoods connected to the big people of this world. But this is not
linked to the Olympic Games which are only the potion which makes this
sinister future happen even more quickly.
There is also real estate speculation directly induced by the Games. For
example, the new Olympic aquatic center next to the Stade de France was
also supposed to accommodate smaller swimming pools (the area lacks
swimming pools). But ultimately no: it will be offices, hotels and some
housing. The athletes' village, for which 3 schools, 19 businesses, 1
hotel and 2 homes were destroyed, will be converted into offices, shops,
hotels and luxury housing. For social housing, we will wait (a few
years, as we have seen).
Gentrification
Here again, the gentrification of the inner suburbs has more to do with
real estate pressure and Greater Paris than with the Olympics
themselves. The poor will have to move further, and this is a movement
that has already largely begun in quite a few municipalities.
But the Olympic Games also make their own contribution. Since Paris was
designated as a host city in 2017, real estate prices have increased by
22.3% in the 93. Part of the Courneuve park has been declassified to
accommodate the media cluster, which will host journalists in 900 homes.
The final district will have 1,300, sold at more than 5,000 euros per
m², in a town where the current average price is 3,000 euros. A certain
number of structures set up for the Olympic Games will then remain as
luxury residences. In a department where housing is already overcrowded.
The swimming pools built for the Olympic Games will be entrusted to
private companies. No more municipal rates.
As we can see, the Olympic Games are not only about the global
corruption of sport, a nauseating ideology, and the experimentation with
the safest techniques. It is also a vast social massacre, an
acceleration towards Greater Paris. However, some struggles have tried
to use the future Olympics as an opportunity. Undocumented immigrants
(see article in this issue) first. But also the unaccompanied minors of
Belleville. These are the minors whose ages the authorities refuse to
recognize so as not to have to take them into care. Following several
expulsions, they gathered at Belleville Park (Paris 20th) to have the
visibility of a large collective. Well organized and determined, they
are occupying the metalworkers' house at the time of writing. One of
their slogans: no housing, no Olympics! It is still a little shameful
for us that the only ones who took advantage of the Olympic Games to
make their demands heard are migrants...
When we see the extent of the social consequences of the Olympic Games,
we can only be surprised by the weakness of the reactions. Their
strength is that multiple sectors are attacked simultaneously, but
without the link between these attacks necessarily being made. We are
paying cash for our failure to build a real convergence of struggles.
And there, it's a bulldozer that goes very fast, which leaves people in
a state of astonishment, and which allows them to implement their
projects before the slightest resistance has had time to organize. The
police deployment that accompanies this bulldozer suggests, however,
that fear is not only on our side.
CJ Ile de France
Notes
(1) A Russian legend tells that when Tzarina Catherine visited Russia,
her minister Potemkin kept the poor away and built stone house facades
along her path.
(2) Seine Saint Denis, the prefecture wants to send young people from
neighborhoods far from the Olympics, Mediapart, David Attié, Nevil
Gagnepain, Mathilde Boulon-Lamraoui and Margaux Dzuilka (Bondy blog),
May 4, 2024
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4203
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