In the city center of Marseille, the official message is displayed on numerous advertising panels: “ Marseille proud to welcome the Olympic flame ». The arrival by sea of the torch in France will liven up the Phocaean city, Wednesday May 8 and Thursday May 9, with numerous events. And if many residents welcome the event with calm, some do not agree with the authorities’ speech.
“ We do not find ourselves in the glorified story of this imposed event, which amplifies current ecological, economic or social problems. »declares a representative of Extinction Rebellion at the opening of a press conference intended to present the arguments of the anti-Olympic Games.
In addition to the environmental organization, the coordination brings together Technopolice Marseille, which fights against widespread electronic surveillance ; Rampage 2024 and NO Olympic Games 2030, which denounce the consequences of Olympic Games of Paris and those which should be organized in the winter of 2030 in the Alps ; BDSopposed to Israel’s participation ; or Lounapo, who campaigns for access to sailing and the sea for everyone in Marseille.
Behind the performance of “ red rebels » of Extinction Rebellion, a banner of the “ Coalition for a Fair Iron », which brings together activists from around the world affected by iron exploitation, and on which we can read “ Brilliant statements, dirty flames “.
© Arthur Larie / Reporterre
“ What an irony that it is a city like Marseille, where the majority of people do not have access to navigation, which hosts the sailing events »protests Virginie, member of Lounapo, an association which organizes sea trips at free prices, so that as many people as possible can benefit from them.
For her, the problem lies less in the number of devices than in the choice of those to whom they are dedicated and for whom they are accessible: “ We have been calling for a pontoon for associative sailboats in the Metropolis and the City for several years… And the Olympic Games come to limit the number of places in Marseille a little more, because we moved dozens of boats to build this expensive Olympic marina »she deplores, arguing that “ it is not new equipment that we need to democratize access to the sea ».
In France’s second city, where almost one in two children cannot swim, the number of swimming pools is much less than elsewhere, particularly in the poor neighborhoods in the north of the city, where a pool is often placed. hour by public transport to access the coast. And if a large perimeter of the harbor will be closed to boaters for part of the summer due to Olympic Gamesthis will also be the case for certain beaches, “ notably those of the Prado, which are family and popular »points Virginie.
Patrick Noto, a former employee of ArcelorMittal for 37 years, suffers from health problems linked to asbestos present in the factories. He is now an activist and fights for workers’ rights against ArcelorMittal in the Martigues region.
© Arthur Larie / Reporterre
Restriction of access to the sea, acceleration of the installation of mass surveillance, further increased risk of gentrification in a city already subject to the expansion of Airbnb, coastal pollution linked to massive tourism… The reasons for oppose the Olympic Games as they are organized today are not lacking, according to these activist collectives, who are calling for a rally at the Réformés, in the center of Marseille, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. They will be under the surveillance of an impressive security system, with 6,000 police officers, helicopters and an army of aerial and underwater drones.
Beyond the damage caused by the event itself, the demonstrators denounce the environmental and social misdeeds of the multinationals which sponsor the Games. The local association Clean my Calanques, which organizes collective waste collections on the Marseille coast, refused to carry the Olympic flame. The presence among the funders of the event of Coca-Cola, whose plastic cans and bottles she has been collecting on the beaches for years, did not seem compatible with her values.
Of the NGO from Brazil, Mexico, Liberia and South Africa denounced the toxicity of ArcelorMittal’s activities in relation to its Fos-sur-Mer factories.
© Arthur Larie / Reporterre
Of the NGO coming from Brazil, Mexico, Liberia and South Africa, organized a rally on Tuesday May 7 in front of the ArcelorMittal factory in Fos-sur-Mer, about forty kilometers from Marseille. They denounce the toxic activities of the steel multinational, the leading emitter of CO2 industrialist in France and official manufacturer of the Olympic torch.
“ Paving the way for Games that respect the land that hosts them »
Alongside them stood residents from around the Etang de Berre, poisoned by industrial pollution, particularly caused by the steel giant. Also present in front of the steelworks, “ red rebels » of Extinction Rebellion, brandished a torch emitting black smoke, symbol of the other side of “ green steel » that ArcelorMittal now boasts of producing.
Opposing them to Olympic Games do not, however, want to stop only at criticism: many of them will also meet on Wednesday afternoon on the hill where, Hollywood style, the letters MARSEILLEfor a “ popular and committed ball » organized by a collective of artists. A party for “ pave the way for Games that respect the land that hosts them » and show, according to Extinction Rebellion, that it is possible to celebrate sport and friendship between nations without “ exploit, monopolize or destroy ».
