Happy gardens in Rouen: despite the police intervention, save the place of concreteurs!

Maintenance.The former Sainte-Marie home, in the heart of Rouen, endowed with a vast historic domain and a park, had been occupied for more than seven months against the Sedelka project, a real estate developer with questionable practices, who wants to concreteAll this to do luxury real estate.A few days after the police intervention of January 11, 2022 which hunted the occupants, interview with Philomène, Adama, Jonathan and Deli ...

What should we remember from these seven months of occupation of joyful gardens?

Philomène: The primary goal of the occupation of the joyful gardens, which started on June 13 from last year was the safeguard of the 4,000 square meters of gardens of this historic place of 8,000 square meters.We had the will to make a vegetable garden in the heart of the city, for food resilience.And afterwards, this is the place that brought all this, a social, cultural project, of welcoming migrant or precarious people, the organization of concerts, political time of discussion, in particular films on ecology.

Jonathan: I entered the place following an occupation in the same street.I was in demand for social housing, and therefore I participated in the occupation.I was not the only one in this situation, and therefore an ecological project was born, with many people in a hassle who were able to help each other.There have been open scenes, gardens shared with residents of the neighborhood.Besides, after the intervention of the cops, on social networks, we saw a lot of residents of the neighborhood who said that it hurt their hearts, that it gave a soul to the neighborhood.

Adama: I don't have much to say so it’s sad the intervention of the cops.When I got to the Joyeux gardens, my problem was to have accommodation given my situation.I have met many competent young people who had projects.So I wanted to participate with my project for sewing, give sewing lessons to those who are interested.It was a great place, who took many people who lived in difficulty, who had no accommodation.Migrants, Europeans in misery.Lots of nice things.It’s sad that they came to expel us.

Jonathan: We must not forget that it was a place open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day, with visits to residents, explanations on the promoter's project, on the counter-project that we have set upWith around twenty associations.A community life that was organized day by day with a kitchen area, a dining area, a library space.A life that has been put in place, with every day its developments.

Philomène: In summer, the first months, we were very diligent with regular meetings between the 30 occupants.We had an GA every 15 days, with the inhabitants, the nearby supporters, there were also meetings with the residents.In winter, it's clear, it was more complicated.We also had some difficult meetings.On justice within our collective.How to manage with the inhabitants of friends who have not accepted outside.Like homophobic, transphobic or violent behaviors.We furnished the place with furniture recovered in the street, or people who move, who made donations.We also recovered clothes, and we opened a free shop of clothes.

So the 1%, people opposite, those whom the police came to defend by expelling you in the early morning, what had they had for this place?

Jonathan: We can summarize: denaturalize to concrete!So.Even if to give himself a good conscience, Sedelka, the property developer who bought the building, boasted of wanting to plant 40 trees, to redeem himself from destroying 4,000 m2 of gardens!In Rouen or Caen, it should not be forgotten that Sedelka's projects do not pass.Because it is each time to denaturalize to put concrete instead, for high -end real estate projects.Even to recover hens, they did not want to let us go, after the expulsion.

Adama: I couldn't even get my belongings!

Deli: Yes, we asked Sedelka to recover our things.We found entire skills of equipment, thrown in front of the gardens as garbage.All this to build 127 dwellings, especially luxury and high standing housing, and 21 social housing, the legal obligation.They want to renovate the noble part, for them, the oldest building of the 16th century, to shelter the most luxurious housing.And shoot a whole wing, which they consider to be dangerous and without heritage interest, but which is in fact very beautiful, with brick, wrought iron and wooden sections.A super exceptional building.They want to drop this to put a concrete bar, and destroy the two garden terraces, to build buildings and 70 parking spaces.

Jonathan: They also want to destroy a small nugget, a small pocket theater, which has experience.We also have a lot of questions about the future of the small chapel.Large gray areas on the Sedelka project.

The cops intervened on January 11, while you were protected in principle by the winter break.How do you see the continuation of the fight?

Deli: It’s not easy without a place. But I am one of the people who consider that even if we are expelled, nothing is finished. If we are sufficiently determined, there is always a way to defeat the Sedelka project. The entire project, we are not sure. But there is still a possibility of victory to save the gardens. It’s absolutely essential. The abandonment of the Sedelka project, for example by asking them for their prize, suddenly we would rent. Most often is "possibly. This is what we will offer them. We will tell them, anyway, your project will not take place. Because people will mobilize, that we will multiply appeals, legal appeals, in particular a graceful appeal sent today against the building permit, an appeal to the Ministry of Culture so that they analyze the buildings to know if they must be classified. There are also discussions with elected officials from the town hall of Rouen, who are in contact with Sedelka, to tell them that they cannot do what they want, in view of the situation. Appeals can make Sedelka lose years. There is also a request from the Rouen municipal council to urgently take an order for an investigation for a declaration of public utility.

Philomène: And obviously, Sedelka would have accepted a meeting between her, the town hall and the occupants.

Deli: Besides that, there will be a big mobilization against the East bypass in Rouen, and there is a prerequisite to win against this project at several billion euros, it is to save the joyful gardens. I do not see how we could win against the bypass, to defeat Vinci, the state, if we are not able to save the joyful gardens, to save the future, a few meters from the town hall. It is called to activists, those who fight for ecological projects or against the East bypass, to mobilize to save the gardens. There are tripartite discussions with Sedelka, the town hall, the collective of the gardens' inhabitants, but what can have them yielded, in the end, it will be mobilization. Especially since Sedelka announces the start of the work before the end of the month. So we organize demonstrations, breakfasts in front of the gardens every morning at 7 a.m. to prevent the work, put pressure on the town hall and the prefecture.

Interview by Frank Prouhet