Serenity now reigns once again in the Parc du Pigeonnier. You could almost believe that nothing happened. A jogger takes advantage of the cooler morning temperatures for his workout, while a couple lazes on a bench. Residents finally regained possession of their space. “The municipal park thus regains its role as a space for relaxation and walking”, welcomes Karine Traval-Michelet, mayor of Colomiers, in a press release. The only vestige of the passage of Travelers, the tire tracks left on the lawn of the park. Despite this detail, there remains no other imprint of the Gypsy community which had nevertheless occupied the premises for more than ten days.
“In recent years, we have no memory of an intrusion of this magnitude,” say the communication teams of the municipality. On July 30, more than one hundred caravans illegally invaded the park. The town hall of Colomiers quickly took matters into its own hands and started legal proceedings.
On Thursday August 10, under pressure and facing the risk of fines, the Gypsy community finally left the premises. “We were scared. They threatened us saying that they were going to bring in the CRS. Above all, we don’t want any clashes,” defends Isaac, one of the community’s pastors. For its part, the town hall denies having simply enforced the law: “These actions were necessary to restore to the inhabitants of Colomiers this space for leisure and well-being”.
Un plan anti-intrusion
As soon as the hundreds of caravans left, the municipality reinforced security at Parc du Pigeonnier by installing concrete blocks, anti-intrusion ditches and a video protection system. All measures have been taken to avoid new illegal occupations in this space appreciated by residents. “It is necessary to remain vigilant in the face of such acts to prevent them from happening again,” says Karine Traval-Michelet.
The town hall of Colomiers reiterates that many areas of great passages have been fitted out by the metropolis for itinerant travellers. Travelers complain that these spaces are not sized for their entire community. They plan to settle temporarily a few kilometers from Toulouse.
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