“an urban guerrilla phenomenon” caused by drug trafficking, according to the mayor

Damaged public buildings, fire vehicles… an outbreak of violence occurred in Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire) on the night of January 18 to 19. A few hours after the events, the prefect of the department and the mayor of the city took stock of the situation.

“It was farting non-stop, non-stop, non-stop“, described, on January 19, a resident of the Saugeraies district of Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire). Earlier in the night, several public buildings were targeted and damaged, as well as light vehicles and trash cans set on fire This Sunday morning, the prefect of the department, Yves Séguy, and the mayor of the city, Jean-Patrick Courtois, went to the site to establish an initial assessment of the situation.

Yves Seguy : We were alerted in the middle of the night that serious urban violence was occurring which damaged three municipal buildings. These are buildings that serve the population of this neighborhood. Seven vehicles were set on fire, a mechanical excavator was also damaged, a number of trash fires… all against a backdrop of drug trafficking.

This is obviously a situation that is completely unacceptable and I can assure you of our total determination alongside the Mayor, to put an end to this violence and ensure that we can, over time, roll back everything that concerns drug trafficking.

Yves Seguy : That those responsible are probably people who end up being known, spotted, and who are clearly looking for a certain number of contextual elements favoring their business. This is unacceptable, so we will persevere in our fight against this phenomenon.

Individuals consider that public action bothers them, and therefore they try to intimidate.

Yves Seguy,

prefect of Saône-et-Loire

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Jean-Patrick Courtois : It is a showdown, as the prefect has just said, between drug traffickers and the police. We obviously have to contain the case, because it is out of the question for me as mayor of Mâcon to satisfy the dealers in this neighborhood.

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They want premises to be peaceful, to do their business quietly, sheltered… There is no question of giving them premises to traffic drugs and launder money. The traffickers say that until they are satisfied, they will set the neighborhood ablaze.

Yves Seguy : What seems to have happened is that individuals consider that they did not get everything they wanted. They consider that public action bothers them, that it does not meet their expectations, and therefore they try to intimidate. We will obviously not shy away from this form of intimidation. It is just regrettable that it is once again the inhabitants of this neighborhood who are ultimately taken to task and put in difficulty.

Jean-Patrick Courtois : We had degradations in 2023 but which were part of another case, in a national case following the death of a young person in a district of a city in France. What is shocking is that they are attacking municipal buildings made for the children of this neighborhood. We arrive at the worst of the absurdity !

The buildings attacked are buildings made for the population. The Galilée building, for example, is made for children aged 4 to 14. It is the youngest who will be penalized. It also has a considerable financial impact on the city of Mâcon.

Jean-Patrick Courtois : I hope that tomorrow we will make the same legislation for drug traffickers as that which exists for terrorism because it is a real war which has been launched. It is a phenomenon of urban guerrilla warfare. The future of the Republic is also at stake.