On April 19, 2021, the visit of the President, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, had taken on a security focus. In particular in Hauts-de-Massane in a former deal point. Residents and committed actors of the neighborhood remember.
It was April 21, 2021. To see the results of his “everyday security policy”, Emmanuel Macron came to visit Montpellier. After thanking the police for their work at the police station, he went to Hauts-de-Massane, to a former drug trafficking point dismantled shortly before. Emmanuel Macron will discuss there with a handful of inhabitants. First under the gaze of the cameras then aside.
In particular with a gentleman who has lived in Hauts-de-Massane for four decades, engaged on the associative level and who, on the spot, had explained that he had been able to “talk about the degradation of the neighborhood with the absence of diversity and local police”. The president had been listening. “He answered when he disagreed. But, a year later, the same inhabitant politely declines the idea of discussing a report on this visit.
“Young people are in danger”
Not Hamza Arab. He, a former historic activist of the Justice for the Petit-Bard association, president of the MMF (Montpellier Méditerranée futsal), always involved in social and educational issues in the districts of Montpellier, had been received by an adviser to Emmanuel Macron. In the prefecture. “Since then, we have unfortunately not seen any real political will. There is a problem. Youth are in danger. »
Hamza Aarab does, however, note a few positives. “The prefect has started work to mobilize businesses to create jobs in the neighbourhoods. The Cercle Mozart and the Medef also. Everyone needs to sit around the table to move forward without falling into the witch hunt. »
“Result of the discussion? Nothing ! »
Present, from the end of the morning of April 19, near the Caf center of La Paillade with other associative activists, Adil Sosso hopes to bring demands to the President. “We had to do a staging. The people authorized to return to exchange with Macron had been handpicked. We arrived around 11 a.m. with banners. The police were correct. “Adil Sosso remembers that the situation became tense in the middle of the afternoon. “The program of the visit of the visit had fallen behind and we were pushed back, unceremoniously. A few dozen meters away, massed behind barriers along the tram line, hundreds of residents watched the scene.
A year later Adil Sosso regrets “the lack of listening from social actors. However, there are many urgent matters to be resolved in neighborhoods such as Paillade and Hauts-de-Massane. Because what was the result of the discussion at the Caf? Nothing! »
And the activist to imagine a new visit from Emmanuel Macron, just re-elected. “He would have to come back to La Paillade so as not to leave the issues of working-class neighborhoods permanently aside. The ball is in his court. We have seen that his recent visit to Cergy did not go terribly well. Urban renewal projects are not enough. »
—
Nor in angelism. “Night grocery stores are targeted by the City, but why not work on local economic development instead? Ditto on the question of housing of course. I also know many Pailladins with disabilities who are at risk on a daily basis. The Department, of which this is one of the areas of competence, must get involved. Like the Region on education issues. »
“Stop clientelism! »
Hamza Aarab insists: “We have to stop, constantly, reproducing the same patterns. Stop clientelism! The state wants to inject millions into the Paillade. But it must be done with the inhabitants who must be able to get involved. The associations are bound by the subsidies. »
In short, a need, in the short and medium term, for civic reinvention. “I have the impression that we are at a turning point with an awareness. It is an essential car, in parallel and after the pandemic, we see a loss of ties and solidarity in the neighborhood. ” Otherwise ? “I fear a withdrawal of identity and community. »
–
