Four days before the opening of the long-awaited trial for the rue d’Aubagne collapses, hundreds of Marseillais asked ” justice “ and housing “for everyone” during a demonstration, on Sunday, November 3.
There were 3,000 according to the group of November 5, 800 according to the police, chanting “We are all children of Marseille” or 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 former mayor LR Jean-Claude Gaudin, will be tried starting Thursday for this tragedy that highlighted indifference and inaction in the face of the scourge of substandard housing.
“Return light to unworthy homes”
Arriving in front of the “hollow tooth” which occupied the place of the collapsed buildings, the procession stopped to observe a minute of silence. Eyes glazed over around Liliana Lalonde, the mother of Julien, one of the victims, who held her son’s photo firmly at the front of the procession.
And, as stated in a tribute panel that now hangs on this street in the city of Foca presided over by a statue of Homer, the inhabitants are “worthy versus unworthy”.
“This trial concerns the families of the victims, the civil parties and also the entire people of Marseille. “This is an opportunity for us to shine a light on poor housing, there is still a lot to do.”confided Kevin Vacher, one of the members of the collective, a figure in this struggle in Marseille.
“Elected officials have a particular responsibility in this situation. “They resolved the anger of the inhabitants at the time.”he adds, hoping in particular for a disqualification sentence for Julien Ruas, this former Gaudin deputy, still elected municipal, who will be among the accused at the opening of the trial on Thursday.
