Four days before the opening of the highly anticipated trial of the collapses of rue d’Aubagne, hundreds of Marseillais asked “justice, truth” and housing “for everyone”during a demonstration crossed by emotion on Sunday.
There were 3,000 of them according to the collective of November 5, 800 according to the police, chanting “we are all children of Marseille” or to ask “justice and truth” for these eight tenants who died on November 5, 2018 in the rubble of 65 rue d’Aubagne.
Sixteen defendants, co-owners and a former deputy of ex-mayor LR Jean-Claude Gaudin, will be judged from Thursday for this tragedy which highlighted indifference and inaction in the face of the scourge of substandard housing.
Arriving in front of the “hollow tooth” which gave way to collapsed buildings, the procession stopped for a minute of silence. Eyes grew cloudy around Liliana Lalonde, the mother of Julien, one of the victims, who firmly held the photo of her son at the head of the procession.
And, as indicated by a tribute panel now hanging in this street of the Phocaean city watched over by a statue of Homer, the inhabitants are “worthy versus the unworthy”.
“This trial concerns the families of the victims, the civil parties and also all the people of Marseillais. This is an opportunity for us to shine a light on unworthy housing, there is still so much to do”confided Kevin Vacher, one of the members of the collective, a figure in this fight in Marseille.
“Elected officials have a particular responsibility in this situation. They fixed the anger of the inhabitants at the time”he adds, hoping in particular for a sentence of ineligibility for Julien Ruas, this former deputy of Gaudin, still elected municipal, who will be among the defendants at the opening of the trial on Thursday.
Liliana Lalonde, the mother of Julien, one of the victims of the collapses on rue d’Aubagne, demonstrates in Marseille on November 3, 2024 / MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
Alexis Hellot has lived in this district of Noailles for four years and sees every day “the stigmata” unsanitary housing: so for him it was “important to take part in at least one walk and to (get) informed”.
He thus describes “a very strange atmosphere”between buildings still blocked off, others renovated but without occupants, and elsewhere “still a lot of slumlords” et “lots of Airbnb”.
“Poverty and at the same time tourists with their wheeled suitcases”describes this 36-year-old neo-Marseillais who, however, will not give up his move to the second largest city in France.
Many of the residents mobilized on Sunday are themselves victims of this scourge like Françoise, a 64-year-old owner-occupant who is still very moved by her experience and who therefore wishes not to give her last name.
In 2019, his building was in danger after heavy rains. “We weren’t home for about 15 months”. Then they were able to return to their apartments, thanks to a first phase of work. But, five years later, the roof repair is still pending: “slowness of the design office”a craftsman who makes « faux bond »a trustee who has them “let go”or authorizations from the city which were delayed.
SO, “as soon as it rains, we are not at peace”concludes my sixty-year-old.
