Tense Evacuation of the Gaîté Lyrique, Occupied by Young Migrants

The evacuation of the Gaîté Lyrique, occupied since December 10 by hundreds of young migrants, took place at dawn on Tuesday, March 18. The operation by law enforcement began shortly before 6 a.m. in a tense atmosphere, as activists gathered to support the occupants.

A High-Tension Operation

Starting at 5 a.m., police officers and gendarmes set up a security perimeter around the theater. Shortly before 6 a.m., they broke through the protesters’ barricades and entered the building around 6:15 a.m. Clashes broke out, leading to the use of tear gas. According to witnesses, one young man was injured.

While some elected officials and activist groups condemned the police intervention as violent, a journalist from H24 NEWS on-site reported that the migrants eventually left without major confrontations, carrying their belongings with them.

A Politically Charged Context

The evacuation followed an order from Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez, citing a “public order disturbance.” In February, the administrative court had ruled that the theater, owned by the City of Paris, should be vacated within a month.

Most of the young migrants refused the housing solutions offered, particularly those outside Paris, such as in Rouen, preferring to stay in the capital to have their administrative status reviewed. According to a source close to the case, they were encouraged in this decision by elected officials and associations present at the scene.

Left-wing MP Danielle Simonnet denounced “an extremely violent intervention,” while Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin justified the operation, stating that “when a place is illegally occupied and public disorder exists, action must be taken.”

The night before, dozens of demonstrators had gathered in front of the Gaîté Lyrique to protest against the impending evacuation. Despite the tensions, the operation concluded around 8:30 a.m.