Photos © Jean-Irénée Riva and Sol Richer for Lyon People
Text: Jean-Irénée Riva – This Thursday, June 27, 2024, the Collectif des Défenseurs de Lyon, an apolitical movement of residents, traders and professionals, demonstrated in front of Lyon City Hall, protesting against the closure of rue Grenette and the pedestrianization of the peninsula.
This mobilization coincided with the last City Council before the summer. Residents, shopkeepers and professionals gathered to protest against the pedestrianization and desertification measures imposed by the green city hall. In front of the City Hall, the Collectif des Défenseurs de Lyon expressed its disagreement and its demands, loudly proclaiming its discontent.
“No, no, no, at closing time”
“It’s a general feeling of fed-upness among the city’s residents and business owners,” said Christophe Cedatrestaurateur and spokesperson for the collective, reflecting the growing exasperation with the new pedestrianization measures. This frustration was expressed through a symbolic action: the closure of access to the City Hall, in the middle of a city council meeting.
Residents and shopkeepers denounce what they perceive as “authoritarian and dogmatic decisions, without taking into account the opinions of shopkeepers, residents and those directly concerned”. These measures, considered incomprehensible and hasty, have aroused widespread opposition, particularly because they are being implemented without prior consultation with those primarily concerned.
> Read also: How environmentalists transformed rue Grenette into a desert
Once the speeches were over, the 200 people present for the event turned to face the City Hall, where a few elected officials were on the balcony, to chant, all together, “no, no, no, to the closure.”
A call for action and consultation
“We want elected officials who really love Lyon,” he stressed. Mathieu Bruela member of the collective, demanding a more open dialogue and consideration of the real needs of the people of Lyon. The collective has made clear demands: “the immediate suspension of all work in progress” and “the establishment of meetings between elected officials and representatives of the collective”. These demands aim to establish effective consultation and find solutions that are suitable for everyone.
While attending the City Council, the mayor of 2e arrondissement, Pierre Oliver (below), wanted to come and greet the members of the collective and those present at the gathering, to support the movement. The collective remains vigilant and says it is ready to continue its actions throughout the summer, to maintain the pressure on Grégory Doucet and the ecologist elected officials.
