Paris cops evacuate squatters

2005-09-16 21:56

Paris - Police evacuated squatters from a dilapidated, rat-infested building on Friday, part of a new high-profile fire safety campaign that critics said was politically motivated.

Police said the 30 people, mostly West Africans from Mali who had lived in the building in northern Paris for about four years, would be re-housed.

But, campaigners for housing rights called the evictions a police publicity stunt and complained about the timing, saying the building's inhabitants were to have been relocated anyway in the coming weeks.

City councillor Rene Dutrey called it "a pathetic orchestration" designed to show that the government was working on the housing problem.

The evacuations followed recent fires in Paris that killed 48 people - mostly African immigrants - and put the issue of sub-par housing on the national agenda.

Evictions 'causing more difficulties'

A police statement said the six-storey, 19th century building had "serious structural problems (dangerous walls, ceilings, stairs and facades) and a high risk of fires."

Trash and two wrecked cars filled its courtyards.

The centre-right government's safety campaign had raised protests from people concerned that the evictions were merely causing more difficulties for Paris' most vulnerable.

On Friday, France's right to housing association pointed out that most squatters had already left the building. Most of about 40 families who had been living there were re-housed in 2002.

Didier Bagheriche of the association said: "They weren't in more danger than in many other buildings, it was just a political move."

140 squatters evacuated

Bagheriche said the final squatters who left on Friday were about to be re-housed. Now they would have to move twice, first to a temporary shelter.

He said: "They could have waited a few more weeks and the squatters would have left anyway."

On September 2, authorities evacuated about 140 squatters from two dilapidated Paris apartment houses considered fire risks, with police moving in over the protests of mothers and the sobs of children.

A day later, thousands of people - some banging drums or blowing whistles - marched through the capital to demand better housing for the poor and to condemn the eviction plan.

- AP