In Nice, Angela, the friend against sexist and sexual violence, still deserves to be known

“Hello, I would like to see Angela”, “Where is Angela?”… For a little over a year, these innocuous phrases are supposed to have transformed into a code name among several dozen traders in downtown Nice.

To fight against sexist and sexual violence in public spaces, the municipality has joined the “Ask Angela” system.

Born in the United Kingdom, the “Ask for Angela” program was developed in 2016 by Lincolnshire County Council and then adopted by law enforcement as a lever for action against attacks and harassment.

In France, the government has taken it on board, its delegation for women’s rights and equality promotes it.

Before Nice, several French cities put the idea into practice, which took the form of “Ask Angela” stickers, affixed to the fronts of partner businesses. Like Toulouse, Paris or even Lyon.

The principle is simple: partner merchants receive brief theoretical training intended to give them the keys to react, talk to their team about it and ensure security.

“Oh right? I didn’t know about it”

On this autumn Tuesday, we strolled through the city center of the Riviera capital to visit traders registered in the process. The experiment takes place in an area stretching from Avenue Jean-Médecin to the alleys of Old Nice.

First stop at the terrace of a restaurant located a stone’s throw from the town hall, listed as registered in the system. On the store’s glass door, behind the customers seated on the terrace for morning coffee, the sticker is clearly affixed. We notify the waiter, to tell him about Angela.

“Oh? I wasn’t aware of the initiative. The boss isn’t here…”recognizes Romain. Nevertheless, the employee feels able to shelter a person in distress.

“This happened to me in Normandy, in a café where I worked. A woman in a relationship told us that she wanted to hide from her partner. We put her in the reserve and when the man showed up , we told him she wasn’t there”relate-t-il.

Sidewalk opposite, the Opéra pharmacy also displays the sticker. Behind the counter, Jonathan Chemla, 33, doesn’t know Angela very well either… But he also knows what to do. And already did.

“I was working at a pharmacy near the train station. A woman came in and looked scared. A man, whom she obviously knew, was following her and didn’t look happy. At a glance , we asked him to go to the back of the store for a Covid test and then we called the police.he remembers.

In the pharmacy where he now works, a small corridor leading to a single counter, the configuration of the place lends itself less to sheltering, he laments.

“There is no way to hide someone. For the trader, there is also the fear of being attacked, of interfering without knowing the situation”he nuances.

Vigilante traders

Very close to the fountain on Place Masséna, the Regalino boutique also displays the code name “Ask Angela” on its window. Manuela and Paulo Mendes are employed there, “it was the boss who put the sticker”they say at the outset.

When they talk about the process, in any case, a significant fact comes to mind. It was early afternoon, in the heart of August 2024.

“Five young Spanish girls entered the store, distraught. They were crying, trembling, one was on the verge of collapse.confides Manuela, still stunned at the mention of the facts. They told us that they were being harassed by a group of men who were following them from Castle Hill. We took a look, they were stationed on both sides of the street, waiting for them.”

The solution found: keeping the victims in the store, calling the police who came and reassured the tourists by following their return to the hotel via the city’s video surveillance cameras.

“As a woman, yes, for me it is very important to know that traders can play this watchdog role. When they left, we were happy to have done something good”emphasizes Manuela.

“Acting is just human, with or without a sticker”

Near Place Rossetti, in the center of the old town, the Lu Fran Calin restaurant is an institution of Nice cuisine. Behind the counter, the boss, Elvira Silvetti knows these situations that get out of control by heart. Naturally, she put the “Ask Angela” sticker on her door.

“When the city offered it to us, we said why not. But in truth, it’s something we already do. Acting is just human, with or without a sticker.” decides this woman with a strong personality, who has worked here since 1989.

Tourists attacked, “kids who drink too much” and find themselves vulnerable when the festive evening drags on, “but also a lot of young men who get pissed off”…The restaurateur is used to it.

“The most striking event was a man who hit his wife in the street behind the restaurant. We did not hesitate to go there. Despite his aggressiveness and the “What are you getting into?!”with my team, we intervened to bring her to safety”says the one who sometimes deplores the lack of responsiveness of the police.

“When we contact the police, they are often overwhelmed. In Nice, there are cameras everywhere, this should be used to catch these people and ensure that there are real sanctions behind them”she decides.

Acting, also a question of female solidarity for Juliette Lefort, a pharmacist near Place Masséna who put the sticker on the pharmacy that she will soon take over for herself.

“In principle, it’s a good approach. In fact, no one has ever asked us for Angela. I’m not sure that we necessarily need a code name. But it’s everyone’s responsibility to give a helping hand, to be attentive to others”judges the one who confides having already been a victim of street harassment herself. “I have been followed many times, I feel ready to help. I know what it is.”

In August 2024, the Nice municipality indicated that it had carried out an initial assessment of the experiment. “It appears that 92% of respondents feel reassured to know about this system and plan to use it if necessary”argued Anthony Borré, First Deputy Mayor of Nice.

Professionals who wish to register in the system can contact us by email at [email protected].