In Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, new mobilizations around a project for a reception center for asylum seekers

2023-04-29 20:07:59

Demonstrators, carrying a sign “Open your eyes, Stop immigration, Stop the forfeiture of our status, let’s organize the return of illegal immigrants, delinquents and foreign criminals”, take part in a demonstration against the project of the new center of reception for asylum seekers, in front of the town hall of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, in the west of France, on April 29, 2023. FRED TANNEAU / AFP

“Saint-Brevin to the Brévinois”: some 250 people once again demonstrated on Saturday April 29, against the relocation of a reception center for asylum seekers (CADA) in Saint-Brevin, in Loire-Atlantique. “Now that there is no more room in the big and small towns, we are spreading the migrants in the villages”denounced Benoît Rouze, a dissident activist from the Reconquête! party, who came from Blois.

Protesters gathered in front of City Hall. To the cries of “At Callac, we won, at Saint-Brevin, we will win”the speeches followed one another to denounce the construction of this new Cada near a school and, more broadly, “uncontrolled immigration”. As in Callac, in the Côtes-d’Armor, far-right organizations such as Action française, Le Rassemblement vendéen, Riposte laïque or La Cocarde were present.

“We must stop the totally uncontrolled immigration which will destroy our country”, said Bernard Germain. Reconquest candidate! in the Côtes-d’Armor in the last legislative elections, the latter was the spokesperson for the committee hostile to the project, abandoned last January, to welcome people who had obtained refugee status in Callac.

Demonstrators march behind a “Fascists, let’s catch them all” banner during a demonstration against anti-project protesters, in support of the project for a new reception center for asylum seekers, in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins , in the west of France, on April 29, 2023. FRED TANNEAU / AFP

A counter-demonstration had preceded these anti-Cada earlier in the day, between noon and 2 p.m. Three hundred demonstrators, according to the police, had denounced this rally in the city center. “The far right wants to make believe that there is a problem in Saint-Brevin while the reception and support of migrants is going very well”commented the LFI deputy for Saint-Nazaire, Matthias Tavel.

Clashes erupted in the early afternoon between anti-fascist demonstrators and the police who prevented them from accessing the anti-Cada rally. A scuffle also opposed activists from both sides in the streets of Saint-Brevin. An anti-Cada demonstrator was slightly injured according to the police and the car of a “young patriot” was set on fire. At the end of the morning, in peace, around 70 people had answered the call of the collective of appalled and united Brévinois, near the school where the future Cada will be built. Symbolically, a first stone was laid in front of the site of the future building and a ” big party “ announced for the fall.

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The World with AFP