Naked, angry, singing or dancing, the world of culture demonstrated on the Grand Place

Songs, dancing, a giant, a man disguised as Pap 40, concerts, artists and around 500 spectators. Friday afternoon on the Grand-Place in Lille, there was like airs from the world before with this happy mess. Even if the masks on the faces of 95% of people and 7 CRS coaches were there to remind us that we have been in a state of health emergency for a year.

This festive and militant gathering was organized as part of the Fridays of Wrath, a national initiative linked to the occupation of cultural places which began two weeks ago throughout France. In Lille, this is the second time in two weeks that the actors of the cultural world have gathered on the Grand-Place to make their demands heard.

Several demands such as the repeal of the future unemployment reform

“We obviously want the reopening of cultural places but also the abrogation of the future reform of unemployment insurance which will impact 40% of people. We are also calling for a new white year for intermittents otherwise we risk losing a lot of people. The anger is great because we have no horizon. We don’t know anything about what’s going to happen. We need answers and we have total silence from the government. There are some who haven’t been on stage for a year. It’s very long, ”explains actress Marion Martel.

The Grand Place in Lille celebrates like never before for 1 year with HK and its title “Danser encore”. #Lille #Culture pic.twitter.com/sjhJy9FwLZ

– François Launay (@francoislaunay) March 26, 2021

Among these people who have not performed or almost for a year is Clémence Vandaele. The singer of the group Panienki, who has not played in public since September, appreciates being able to sing for a few minutes on the Grand-Place. “This gathering is a way of getting together, of showing that we exist and that we still live because we feel a bit alone. We don’t know where we’re going. We’re a little fed up with playing in our living room, ”says the singer.

“This is my first year in Lille and we have the right to do nothing”

Come to listen to the artists, Inès and Elodie benefit from a rare moment of happiness in their student life. Arrived last September in the capital of Flanders, their first year in Lille did not go as planned. “It will be a year since there is no more culture or cultural events. We experience it through phones, but it’s not the same. This is my first year in Lille and we have the right to do nothing. We expected more life and in the end we have nothing at all so it’s complicated, ”explains Elodie.

“It’s important to come and support this movement. This closure is starting to take a long time when we could make adjustments. We understand that the situation is not easy but we could have more consideration for the world of culture, ”adds Inès.

Artists get naked to shout their anger against the government

To express their anger, some artists have not hesitated to go naked except for the mask on their face. On the steps of the Théâtre du Nord, a dozen people have completely undressed, like Corinne Masiero at the Cesars, to recall that their sector was really “naked” since the start of the pandemic. “We are resisting your policy which knocks us out and robs us of everything. But resistance to oppression is a natural right. So, let us express ourselves! », Chanted the nude artists in front of a conquered crowd.

A political message that then gave way to dance and song like the hit “To dance again” HK woke up a Grand Place that had been sleeping for a year. “It’s a bit of shared happiness. We need to find each other. We are just social beings and we cannot change our nature. We have to find the means to have this artistic and social bubble so that we can continue to live. We need to live and this is not incompatible with being reasonable, ”says the singer. Message largely received Friday on a Grand-Place in Lille which had found a little lightness, smiles and carelessness for a moment. Everything we are missing right now.