"Knives are a daily occurrence," alarmed the Nantes bartenders.

• A bar manager, a security guard and a bartender organized a rally this Wednesday afternoon in downtown Nantes.
• Like them, many night professionals have come to witness an increase in attacks.

They claim not to belong to any political party or union, but have had the need to speak publicly. This Wednesday afternoon, place Royale, three night professionals organized a rally against "growing insecurity" in Nantes. If it is not necessarily representative of the whole population, a crowd of at least 200 bartenders, restaurateurs or nightclub employees spontaneously answered their call, launched a few days earlier on social networks. "For the past three months, it's been dramatic," said Guillaume, one of the organizers, a security guard. Knives are a daily occurrence. "

For long minutes, in front of the fountain, testimonies follow one another at the microphone. Visibly moved, Romane recounts. “I already took several potatoes at Commerce on my way home around 2:30 am, after the service, says the young waitress. I no longer move without my tear and with my other hand, I hold my keys, to defend myself in case. "I have three children and I am scared when they go out at night," says Benoît, 64. One of my sons has already been attacked three times in town, for his cell phone ... We feel negative pressure, and a situation that is deteriorating. "

Several hundred night professionals have gathered in Place Royale to denounce "growing insecurity" at #Nantes pic.twitter.com/XticUHFQKC

Private Facebook page

While the mayor of Nantes recently acknowledged an increase in insecurity during the mandate, without putting forward figures, the organizers of this rally speak of more frequent but also more violent acts. "Before, it was incivility, but now it's assaults on the cutter, the shard of the bottle," says Cyril, bar manager. A colleague was stabbed with a knife during her cigarette break near the station. Bakers who start early, pharmacies who close late, customers who return home, everyone is concerned. One of the problems is that there are not enough law enforcement officers. And when an attacker is arrested, he is released very quickly. "

If these professionals challenged the institutions, and in particular the town hall, they have already started to organize themselves in the face of this phenomenon. For several months, they have been communicating on a private Facebook page, in order to be alerted in real time of the attacks and physical descriptions of their authors. Some establishments, which use security agents, particularly on weekends, campaign for a system that would make their intervention possible on the street, and not only indoors. Another idea, that of associating with taxi companies so that employees return to safety, is also being studied.

"Good times wasted today"

Supported by the association of Plein Center traders and catering and hotel trade unions, the collective must be received by the Nantes city hall next Monday. "We want to stop working in anxiety and that our customers find good times today spoiled," said Charlo, bartender for seven years. In the meantime, instructions have been given to all the victims to go and file a complaint. Because according to these professionals, the statistics are below what they experience on a daily basis.

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• Insecurity
• Night
• Nantes
• Society