Fairgrounds in Saint-André-lez-Lille protest cancellation of annual carnival by town hall for inflatable structures

April 29 was to mark the opening of the annual carnival, in Saint-André-lez-Lille. A 10-day event that was canceled by the town hall, to the surprise of the fairgrounds who were already preparing their installation. They demonstrated on April 24.

“The town hall has decided to cancel the party and take inflatable structures instead” summarizes, bitter, Mathieu Dewast, showman by profession. April 29 was to mark the opening of the carnival of Saint-André-lez-Lille, for 10 days. The event was however canceled by the town hall of the commune, provoking the anger of the fairgrounds who demonstrated on April 24.

“We made a first demonstration in small numbers, with a dozen trucks and around thirty fairground people. But we have the impression that there is no dialogue with the town hall, that it remains on its positions. If it continues, we will amplify the demonstrations” warns Mathieu Dewast.

The showmen offer the local authorities to mix the two activities, especially since the inflatable structures are rented for a single day. “We bring back money since we pay our place fees, so they are not losers, however” summarizes the fairground, circumspect.

For him and his colleagues, the loss of income will be hard to collect: “We are losing almost a month of income, plus May 1, which is a very good holiday. We can’t go anywhere else, everything is sold out, everyone has already set up their rounds, we can’t afford to just go and join some colleagues”explains the professional.

I have children, who want to resume the activity. We are fighting to keep our parties, we have already lost quite a few.

Michel Delcroix, one of his colleagues, moved to Saint-André on the same date 25 years ago, with his wife. These episodes make him fear for the future of the profession. “I have children, who want to resume the activity. We are fighting to keep our parties, we have already lost a lot of them. If this continues, we will go directly to unemployment. In addition to the lack of money, we don’t don’t know where we’re going to go during that time.”

“The Ducasse de Saint-André has existed for 80 years. We simply ask for the right to practice our profession with dignity, which we are currently denied. is indignant on his side Doriane Hautekeur. We are told that it is a choice of the citizens but all the people we have been able to intercept are attached to this ducasse”

A desire for renewal from the citizens is indeed the argument defended by the town hall to explain the cancellation of the carnival. “This follows the request of many citizens who wanted to have a different animation. It is true that the ducasse was traditional but the city is changing, the young people who arrive want us to develop these animations around the sale”argues Mayor Elisabeth Masse.

The elected official ensures that the fairgrounds had been warned at the start of the year of the cancellation of the event and does not rule out calling the ducasse back next year if the inflatable games do not convince the citizens.

The town hall did not conduct a formal consultation for the cancellation of the ducasse, but believes that it has listened. “We received letters, we were arrested last year during the clearance sale by people who asked us to offer something else” defends Elisabeth Masse.

However, she assures us to leave the discussion open and to be at work to find a solution. “But that can’t be decided in half an hour of blocking.”

The inhabitants who answered our journalists on the spot, them, seem a little more circumspect. “It’s a shame, since I arrived in 1992, there has always been this rather nice little ducasse, I didn’t quite understand why it had been removed. Replacing it with inflatable stuff is when not even the same” reacts a resident.

“It’s especially for the children that it’s a shame! Me at my age, the rides are fine, but it’s a little sad especially as May Day approaches. It was still a little more than entertainment for our little community” regret another.

This local resident judges “amazing” the argument of citizen fatigue. “I don’t really understand this argument, because we keep bringing in the circus. It’s double standards.”