the Aligre market, popular jewel of Paris and target of arson

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Under the filter of the picturesque village and the color of the stalls, the specter of lurking danger has crept into the Aligre market in Paris (12th). In less than a decade, three times the flames attacked each other to its shops. A trader for 49 years in the listed building, Martine Giniès is furious. “In 2015, it closed for 7 months. In 2017, the roof had been destroyed. What will happen tomorrow? Will everything end up burning completely? », she tells us.

The reason for his wrath? History repeated itself on the night of Sunday 10 to Monday 11 November 2024. And as in 2017, she fears that the perpetrator is never identified and nothing changes.

The worst was avoided

This autumn evening in 2024, the pastry chef closes the small door to the hall when leaving around 7:30 p.m. Then comes back in the night to take a look at his brioches. But on his return, the law enforcement prohibits him from entering. A few minutes earlier, a local resident alerted the emergency services that a fire was in progress in the covered market. On site, the firefighters then extinguished two separate fires and found a 20 liter jerry can, a bottle of white spirit and several firelighters arranged in front of the curtains of the shops. The criminal trail is no longer in doubt.

In the process, the forensic science went to the site and carried out measurements, before returning later in the day, as Michael Hulot, the general director of the Dadoun group, a market concessionaire which belongs to the City of Paris, told us by telephone on Tuesday 12th. In the meantime, a investigation is also open by the prosecution, as indicated by The Parisian.

Since then, rumor has spread that a no one would have been seen while she fled around 3 a.m. Which would correspond to the arrival time of the firefighters. A rumor which could be confirmed by the camera of the La Grille brasserie, according to the opinion of certain traders.

Half-fig, half-grape atmosphere

More than 24 hours after the incident, life resumed as if nothing had happened. Or almost. Overlooking the blackened wall of the location occupied by Aux Volailles d'Aligre – one of the two targeted businesses – an employee displays a toothy smile. “There are always jealous people,” he taunts. Before clarifying his thoughts: “When you have a nice car, there is always someone who wants to scratch it. » All this, without interrupting his perfectly oiled work.

The sound of the bell is noticeably different in the neighboring store, the second to have been targeted by the attack. The curtain of the Malagasy grocery store, Sous les Baobabs, is still down on Tuesday, November 12 morning. No reopening date displayed. “It takes time to clean… It could take a few days,” Quentin, the market usher, calms down from his office. The tone is more serious on the side of Dadoun's boss: “The impacted businesswoman was shocked,” Michael Hulot seems to lament on the line.

A fleeting glance that shuttles from left to right under his cap, the usher ends up conceding: “It’s superficial damage, but there is a form of mental pressure for traders. »

At the market, the worm is in the fruit

He has actually just put his finger on the root of the problem. Martine Giniès adds: “It’s been decades since a security problem. For a strong person, knocking on the door may be enough to break the electric lock.” She gets exasperated.

Who tells us that tomorrow he won't come back? That this time the market won't catch fire entirely? We're not going to sleep in our stores…

Absence of video surveillance and smoke detectors: the one we sometimes nickname “the Italian” draws the contours of a Parisian jewel left at the mercy of criminals. “A handful of us have decided to equip ourselves with surveillance systems, but we are only tenants of our stores! It is up to the City and the concessionaire to do so. But they prefer to pass the buck,” she judges.

As for the current investigation, Martine Giniès does not have too many hopes on it. She rewinds: “In 2017, my store was almost half destroyed. I filed a complaint at the timebut we never knew who did it or why. It’s mystery and gumball. »

Learning lessons from the past

At Dadoun, we want to be reassuring. “Our short-term priority is surveillance. I cannot reveal everything, but, in consultation with the City, it will be strengthened in the coming days and months. This concerns in particular video surveillance,” assures Michael Hulot. This also certifies us thatin 2017 studies were carried out after the fire and that based on them, the dealership had chosen the “best fire safety system”.

“Smoke detectors are not relevant to the Aligre market because it is open to the four winds,” he says. And continued: “At the time, we looked into video surveillance, but it is a public space and the data protection law blocked us. However, the City has the capacity to install a surveillance system. »

A speech which, as long as it is not followed by effects, should not calm the discontent of the hardened traders of Aligre. “It is an exceptional and precious place, but its management is very complicated. We have been asking for toilets for traders who are outside for 30 years, without anything moving. We were promised repair work for the end of 2024, but we still haven’t seen the color,” lists the Italian from the Beauvau market. And to conclude: “There are so many stories here, that I could make a book. Maybe I’ll do that after I retire,” she laughs.

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