40,000 Travelers have settled in the town of Nevoy in Loiret. An evangelical association organizes an annual gathering. Several elected officials, solicited by local residents following the nuisances, ask the State to intervene.
“Before the Covid, we had between 15,000 and 20,000 pilgrims. 40,000, that creates a lot of nuisance. The population is overwhelmed, there will be a tragedy one day”. The mayor of Gien in Loiret Francis Cammal is worried, the residents of the land are angry.
40,000 pilgrims are in fact installed on land in the town of Nevoy for an evangelical gathering organized every year by an association of travellers, Vie et Lumière. The rally that started on May 6 is scheduled to run until Sunday, May 14 on land that belongs to the association.
Due to the large number of participants, Travelers have settled on neighboring land. “Travellers have settled illegally on these lands reserved for fodder. We feel completely helpless. Me, I am sick to see that”, said the mayor of Nevoy Jean-François Darmois to France Blue Orleans.
For lack of space, Travelers have settled in neighboring fields.
Manure on private land
The mayor of Gien describes wild connections to the water and electricity networks and participants who relieve themselves on paths, in green spaces or on private land. The situation almost degenerated on Tuesday. When Travelers entered his land to relieve themselves, an octogenarian fired a shot in the air, without causing any injuries. The man was taken into custody. He will be tried in November for violence with a weapon.
Residents complain of droppings on their land.
State called to the rescue
Despite the anger of part of the population, local elected officials can do nothing. “People do not understand that we let it happen but we do not have the hand, details the mayor of various centers of Gien Francis Cammal. “The State must take its responsibilities to reduce the number of participants”.
The prefect of Loiret went there on Wednesday. It mobilized 250 gendarmes to supervise the gathering of 40,000 people. The military have already carried out 4,000 vehicle checks, noted 177 traffic offenses and drawn up 56 reports for abandoning waste.
Pastor Charpentier of the Evangelical Gathering says, for his part, has installed a hundred toilets on the ground and have a team of twelve people listening to elected officials and residents. Obviously unsuccessful.