A camp where hundreds of crack users had gathered for a year in the northeast of Paris was being dismantled on Wednesday morning by the police, with the stated objective of preventing its reconstitution elsewhere in the French capital.
“On my instruction, the prefect of police is proceeding with the final dismantling of the “crack camp” in Square Forceval. 1000 police officers will be deployed so that this camp does not reconstitute itself elsewhere”, tweeted the French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, when the police entered the camp, as noted by a journalist from the AFP.
Crack users have been moved over the past two years on several occasions due to the anger of local residents.
A year ago, they were directed to Square Forceval, on the outskirts of Paris. A wall, quickly baptized the “wall of shame”, was even erected there.
The detoxification of these consumers is extremely difficult given the very addictive nature of crack, a smokable derivative of cocaine, called “poor man’s drug” because of its cost (10 euros per dose).
The Ministry of the Interior stressed that this operation was “unprecedented” while “the phenomenon of crack has affected the north-east of Paris for several decades”.
“The wanted persons will be arrested, as will foreigners in an irregular situation who will be placed in CRA (Administrative detention center, editor’s note) with a view to their expulsion”, specified the ministry. “The other occupants will be directed to accommodation facilities with medico-social support or to care units.”
The arrival of crack users in Square Forceval a year ago seriously disrupted the security of the surrounding neighborhoods, provoking demonstrations and legal action to demand the evacuation of the camp. The inhabitants have never ceased to complain of assaults, thefts and other nuisances caused by their presence.
According to associations, between 300 and 400 people during the day and 150 at night, including 35 to 40% women, were present in this square. The dealers sold the pebbles (doses of crack) there in plain sight.