You remember the tents on the Canal Saint Martin, to support homeless people? Well there is more... Three associations have now decided to squat a huge building (1 000 sq m2 - 10 760 sq ft) near La Bourse to create a "Ministry of the housing crisis". Ironically this building belongs to a bank who left it empty for 3 years. The "Grand opening" was last evening and, of course, PDP was there. The atmosphere was rather festive: lots of artists, lots of press and lots of supporters... It may seem odd that anyone can walk into a building and settle down, but, in France, if you can prove you've lived in a place for more than 48 hours it is very hard to throw you out (see here a complete guide to squatting! - in French, sorry...). And more photos here.
Wow! 48 hours and you're in? Good to know. Now maybe I can just move there, find a place and move in. Rent is for suckas!
ReplyDeleteAmazing France!
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric for the tip... and for the complete guide to squatting: very instructive!...
48 hours! That's incredible. That must be pretty easy to do i would think. Maybe i'll get my Paris apartment after all then... thinks...
ReplyDeleteGood the building is being used though i think, on a serious note.
Sorry about the repeat comment. I couldn't get Beta to take it and now hours later, I found both "took". I am so happy that the wonderful French are taking action to help the homeless. Good old JC is coming through for them. Jacque Chirac not the other JC. LOL
ReplyDeleteI wish our esteemed leader would do something besides sending more troops to die in Iraq. Maybe this is his method of reducing the number of homeless! Incredible!!
Solidarity brothers and sisters.
ReplyDeletematt
http://socialist-courier.blogspot.com/
THE SCOOP Eric!
ReplyDeletepas de dépêche sur la toîle pour l'instant et rien sur les ondes...reste à voir sur les chaînes d'information continue.
en tous cas, merci pour l'info and... congrats.
Great job, Eric. Journalism at its best. Real journalism. I'll listen tomorrow morning to see if National Public Radio does a follow up on their story about the tents. They need to work fast to keep up with PDP!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting Eric. How on earth do you find these events? And where is that photo of the scooter Lynn (I believe) has been asking about?
ReplyDeleteLooks like another excuse for a party to me. Shame shame shame.
ReplyDelete48 hours, boy, I wish I could read that guide!
ReplyDeleteAnd Jeff, thanks for your post a while back on the Hemingway site.
Paul
This is such a great photo - the movement, urgency of it, all seem to be there with a purpose and i think in black and white it tells so much more.
ReplyDeleteWell désolé Lynn, i'm afraid things won't be that easy for you to find an appartment in Paris :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lemoniteur-expert.com/depeches/depeche.asp?t=3&acces=0&id=DB3A065B5&mode=0
… just in case you might be interested by the ideas of the guy who pretends to be next french Pdt.
you don't say which problema, anonymous!?
ReplyDeleteOh squatters! The ones here in KL have little villages. The authorities have been relocating them into low-cost flats for years now. It's good to know that the have a 'ministry' in Paris :)
ReplyDeleteWoah, am I back in Berkeley? Evocative "you are there" shot. I love it!
ReplyDelete-Kim
What a festive scene! Hurray to the ministère de la Crise du logement for taking over the building.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure I understand Eric. Is this a kind of manifestation (protest) or is there a real ministry being set up there?
ReplyDeleteNo Michael, it's NOT a real ministry. It's a bunch of people (namely extreme left associations) who decided that the housing situation in France was too hard and that they were legitimate in taking over an empty building.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say that not everybody agrees with them...
I'm posting this several days later after the passing of Abbé Pierre here in France. I just thought it would be appropriate.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know more about him, here's a summary of his life, compliments of Elisabeth.
free apt posting
ReplyDeleteboat rental and charter
ReplyDelete