“We do not believe in the beautiful story that they want to tell us”, accuse the five signatories, despite being members of the municipal majority of the diverse-left mayor Benoît Payan who fought for the second largest city in France to host the Olympic flame of the Paris 2024 Games, whose arrival from Greece is scheduled for Wednesday around 8 p.m. aboard the three-masted Belem.
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A fortress Europe far from its welcoming traditions
They denounce “the exploitation of the Olympics”, which have become a “tool for diverting public opinion from the vital issues of our time: the climate challenge and the safeguarding of our democratic framework and our social pact”.
Led by Sébastien Barles, deputy mayor of Marseille for ecological transition and member of the “Printemps Marseillais” majority which conquered the city in June 2020, after 25 years of reign of Jean-Claude Gaudin (LR), the signatories of the forum thus denounce a “Fortress Europe which has forgotten its traditions of welcome and hospitality”, threatened by “the rise of national populism and illiberal democracies”.
Likewise, they wonder about the cost of these Games, “billions of public money” (three to five billion, according to the Court of Auditors, Editor’s note) which could, according to them, “finance the investments necessary to the ecological transition and responding to the rise in energy and food insecurity.”
Partner multinationals
On this ecological aspect, the five elected officials see in these Games “major greenwashing operations to the glory of climate-killing multinationals” like Coca-Cola, official sponsor of the torch relay, “global paragon of the ravages of junk food”. On April 29, the Marseille environmental defense association “Clean my Calanques” refused to carry the flame for the same reasons.
“It is high time to re-examine these major international sporting competitions where money reigns king and sport business and its excesses participate in the environmental massacre”, insist Marseille elected officials, highlighting “the immense carbon impact linked to international travel” athletes or spectators, “additional sources of pollution” and “social cleansing in host cities”.
Gentrification, policeization, dispossession
Several collectives have also called for a festive demonstration in the center of Marseille on Wednesday at the start of the afternoon to “show that we can have a popular celebration in the name of sport, without exploiting, oppressing or destroying”.
“The Olympic Games and their misdeeds are a system, in terms of gentrification, policeization of public space, dispossession of the city,” lamented Félix Tréguer, member of the La Quadrature du Net association, during a press briefing. .
In Marseille, “nautical activities are reserved for an elite”, also regretted Virginie Guy, who defends access to navigation for all with the Lounapo association and ensures that the Olympic Games have not brought “investments in infrastructure in the northern districts of Marseille, which would be a high priority.”
