Rouen (Seine-Maritime), report
“ It is here that, more than a year and three months ago, the solid wooden slabs that closed the entrances to this former cloister gave way under popular pressure. “ Along the boundary wall of the foyer Sainte-Marie, rue Joyeuse in Rouen, Jacky, a cardboard tree, is the spokesperson for the Jardins Joyeux collective for the occasion.
The demonstration against the artificialization of the earth, which brought together more than 200 people, on Saturday 17 September in Rouen, was the occasion to celebrate their victory after months of intense struggles, hopes and disappointments. Last June, Jacky lamented the loss of eight of her fellow lime trees cut down in the midst of a heat wave from construction machinery, rolling happily over the vegetable garden, abandoned after activists were expelled in January. Forced to leave this garden of XVIIAnd century that has become a place of collective emulation, punctuated by conferences, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, parties … The battle seemed almost lost, but the mobilization did not weaken.
“ Happy Gardens will live on ! “
Their tireless mobilization ended up bearing fruit. “ Sedelka, leave the concrete, the Happy Gardens will live ! “ sing the protesters, referring to the name of the promoter Sedelka, who launched a luxury residence project on the site. The defenders of the gardens managed to save the northern part of this verdant paradise. The preserved part of the Gioiosi Gardens will become a public park and a shared garden under the management of the collective. Activists also hope to recover the old house’s chapel, landlocked in the middle of the housing project.
A lukewarm victory, because the built heritage will be largely preserved in the real estate development plans. The gardens escape the concrete, but have been partially destroyed, and the modified project still involves the destruction of a half-timbered building that houses a pocket theater, as well as the transformation of the central building, in freestone, and some outbuildings in masonry .
- Demonstration against the construction of the Joyful Gardens in Rouen, 17 September 2022. © Léa Guedj / Reporterre
However, “ it is better to recover the bare earth than nothing “Lilo reacts, present since the beginning of the occupation of the site. “ They told us that it was useless to fight, since they had obtained permission to buildremember. So we certainly will not recover what has already been destroyed, the victory is a bit bitter. But we congratulate ourselves, because it is a signal that even in situations that seem hopeless, we can win, even partially. “
A breath of fresh air for the representatives of other struggles for popular gardens, members of a recently established national coalition and present at the demonstration. “ Prove that we can win when we fight “rejoice Dolores of the association Salva the workers’ gardens of Aubervilliers and Maxime of the association Salva islet Pêche d’or – Bergerie des Malassis in Bagnolet. “ It sets a precedent and encourages support for the creation of a shared garden “says Benjamin, of Collectif 40, opposed to another real estate project in Rouen.
The victorious strategy of the Joyful Gardens collective inspires. They fought on the legal level: a free appeal addressed to the Municipality to challenge the building permit, a list of protected species, criminal complaints for violation of the Environmental Code, a referral to the French Biodiversity Office … All this accompanied by a very active communication, “ lots of ramdam to not go under the radar “says Deli, a member of the collective and a local resident.
save the rest
Bringing the idea of a “ popular ecology “, have managed to mobilize a large number of players from all walks of life. First by welcoming people in need, homeless or refugees, then by rallying local residents, environmental defense groups such as Les Amis de la Terre Rouen or Extinction Rebellion, other local collectives such as Les bouillons terres d’avenir, or a ‘ heritage conservation association, La Boise de Saint-Nicaise.
By dint of arrests, they also obtained the support of the elected officials of the Municipality. In a moment of declared political will to re-naturalize the urban environment to adapt it to the climate change, “ we told him “flea” : here we can start by preserving the existing “, an oasis of freshness with fertile soil. Two elected officials responded on the street Saturday. “ Sedelka agrees to return the part occupied by the gardens to usannounces Jean-Michel Bérégovoy, Deputy Mayor of Europa Ecology-The Greens (EELV), under the applause of the demonstrators. In return, they will be able to see if there are possibilities in other areas of Rouen. “
In the meantime, they can’t wait to sow the seeds from the garden again and see the pumpkins and courgettes bloom again. “ We ask that in the autumn of 2023 we can recover the upper part of the gardens, if not the entire area that we are promised to modify the land and have a first harvest in the spring of 2023. “