Under a thick layer of fog, at 1 a.m., at the foot of a building in the Hautepierre district, a car burst into flames before the eyes of a distraught local resident, cigarette in mouth. “That's not fun. At the time, we danced, we laughed, we didn’t do that.” One by one, the vehicle's tires burst and the smell of plastic tickles the nostrils.
Further on, Brahim, 56, went out with his two daughters, aged around thirty. “I expected worse but there are still cars set on fire. We have to look for what made young people like this, get to the source of the problem. It's sad to see 13 and 14 year old kids go ecstatic over burning cars. My daughters are with me tonight. Education is first and foremost support. »
The neighborhood is also solidarity
Next to this Peugeot soon to be reduced to ashes, the windows of the electric van from the company Mobistras, intended for the transport of people with reduced mobility, are taking a heatstroke. Quickly informed, her owner hastens to change her place. “The neighborhood is also solidarity. It was a neighbor who told me it was bad for my car. I don't understand these young people who burn down their own neighborhood…” Other residents speak of “hits to their insurance” when they see the comings and goings of fire engines in the neighborhood's alleys. “Even though dozens of cars are burning, it’s pretty quiet here. We had a more turbulent New Year with hundreds of vehicles on fire. »
The night advances and the sound of sirens accompanies the whistles of rockets and the detonations of large firecrackers. Some firefighters are the target of mortar fire. Police officers protect them when they return to their truck. “It really is the world turned upside down. The firefighters didn't ask for anything,” said a resident, before stepping back to avoid breathing the gas from the tear gas bombs, thrown by the police to disperse the troublemakers.
