A few chants resounded against an accordion background. So yes, they were only a handful. About 150 people, in a district which must have more than 10,000 inhabitants. But they have won their bet to unite and walk “for peace” around the Gros-Chêne slab, which has been terribly lacking in recent times. Hit by an outbreak of violence against a background of drug trafficking, the district of Maurepas saw a 28-year-old man lose his life on June 13.
Stabbed in the heart, the young man was undoubtedly the victim of a settling of scores. Before and after his death, gunshots also rang out in the streets of the working-class district. Police officers even came under automatic weapon fire during a bicycle patrol.
“I came to say stop”
This Wednesday, the inhabitants therefore had many reasons to take to the streets to shout their fed up. But all seemed united by the same desire. To show off. “I came here to say stop. I want to say that I love my neighborhood but that I can no longer live there in these conditions. The delinquency has intensified and I am afraid for my children”, explains Awa (the first name has been changed at her request). Mother of two young children, she no longer dares to let them play alone near the school, for fear that they will be targeted. “I heard the gunshots, I’m not quiet. I don’t want to take out the ball in my stomach anymore. »
A little further, Catherine (first name also changed) is one of the oldest in the district, where she has lived for forty-six years. “Maurepas, before, it was too good. There was mutual aid, exchanges. Today, it saddens me to see all this violence. »
In recent weeks, several serious events have taken place downstairs. So Catherine decided to come and walk with around 150 people to “show that we exist”. She, like everyone we interviewed, is adamant. It is the drug trade that pollutes their neighborhood. “The dealers have taken over the premises and the kids are following. They have a “bedo” instead of the brain”, denounces Catherine. As the small procession passes, residents stick their heads out the window. Some applaud but few come down.
This march “for peace” was organized by some residents of the district, including the vice-president of Rennes Métropole Priscilla Zamord. The neighborhood elected also moved, tricolor scarf on the shoulder. “All people are affected by these acts of violence. But they also want to assert their place in the public space, to show that there is something else in Maurepas than acts of violence, ”says ecologist Marion Deniaud. To solve the traffic problem, the elected official relies on “the mayor, the prefect and the prosecutor”.
“Some people don’t dare to go down”
As the march passed by, supervised by the police, the young people who were seated at the bottom of the towers have for the most part disappeared. They will probably come back very soon. “They are no longer afraid of anything, not even the police. They stay here all day. Some residents no longer dare to come down for fear of being bothered,” testifies Amina (the first name has been changed). She too heard the gunshots that made her blood run cold. “Some children can get caught up in these gangs. We must protect them, avoid school disruption. »