“It has become unlivable”: Quatre-Chemins facing the scourge of street cigarette sales

2024-02-05 20:16:24

“Marlboro, Marlboro, Marlboro!” » In front of the Quatre-Chemins metro station, located straddling the communes of Pantin and Aubervilliers, in Seine-Saint-Denis, the trafficking of contraband cigarettes adds to the tumult of this popular district built around the ex-RN2. This urban highway leaves little room for pedestrians who, to circulate on the modest sidewalks, are forced to weave between street vendors.

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Every day, men come to pick up passers-by at the top of the stairs or escalators of the metro in the hope of selling a few packets of “fags” at a reduced price. But this Monday afternoon, the untimely ballet was interrupted during the demonstration organized by the union chamber of tobacconists of Île-de-France, who came to protest against this “illegal trade” which deprives traders of part of of their customers.