Despite the presence of a crowd of demonstrators outside, anti-riot police entered Gaite Lyrique.
After occupying the facility for three months, hundreds of migrants were evicted from a central Paris theater on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, police entered the Gaite Lyrique with batons in hand, as protesters gathered outside to voice their opposition to the eviction. They stated that the police used batons to charge at the migrants, who had sought refuge in the historic Gaite Lyrique venue, as a large crowd gathered outside to oppose the eviction.
Anti-riot police breached the cordons that activists had constructed to enter the 19th-century theater shortly before 6 a.m. The migrants, who were demanding food and sanctuary, canceled all performances at the theater during the occupation.
On December 10, the management organized a complimentary conference on “reinventing the refugee welcome in France,” which was attended by over 200 migrants. This was the beginning of the trouble.
However, the migrants refused to vacate the premises after the event concluded, which featured Red Cross officials and academics as presenters. They have continued to occupy the building ever since. Numerous individuals are underage and have requested that their immigration procedure be conducted accordingly.
Several suitcases and bags were abandoned on the pavement, and some individuals were observed departing the building with personal belongings. As they were encircled by police in riot gear, demonstrators and migrants chanted slogans such as “we are all the children of migrants.”
The theatre, which has been inhabited by up to 450 individuals, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa, was cleared by Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, the day before the eviction.
A Political Standoff in a Theatre
The occupation of the facility was deemed a threat to public order by the police prefect. He assured the young migrants that they would be provided with shelter and that their legal situation would be examined. Agents employed by the emergency shelter services of the Paris region were reported to be present and conversing with migrants.
“I am required to attend class at 10:00 a.m. today.” I am uncertain as to what to communicate to my instructor. I must leave a message informing them that I will be unable to attend. We have not committed any violent acts, nor do we engage in theft. Adama, a youthful resident from the Ivory Coast, stated, “We arrived here to achieve integration.”
A week later, the theater canceled all scheduled performances, citing its condemnation of the occupation and “the inaction of authorities.” In the months that followed, a standoff ensued between Left-wing activists who were advocating for migrant rights and the far Right, who were calling for their expulsion.
However, the 19th-century theater, which is renowned for its opera, operetta, and ballet performances, was compelled by police to enter in a chaotic and turbulent scene.
The theater had canceled all performances during the three-month occupation by migrants who were demanding food and shelter. Many individuals are underage and have requested to be treated as such during the immigration procedure.
Danielle Simonnet, a leftist lawmaker who was present to protest the police action, described it as “extremely violent.” She stated to AFP that the migrants were “hit and beaten” by the officers, despite the fact that they were behaving “peacefully.” Authorities in France were accused of “social cleansing” of migrants and the destitute prior to the Paris Olympics.
Migrants and demonstrators chanted slogans such as “we are all the children of migrants” while being surrounded by police in riot gear.
