• The Marseille city council votes Friday on the buyout of McDonald's Saint-Barthélémy, for a budget of 600,000 euros.

  • “This is just the beginning, the project continues!

    », Launches Fathi Bouaroua, member of the Après M, to re-mobilize citizen support for this project which encompasses both a restaurant and a solidarity platform.

They will be in the public on Friday, for this last Marseille city council before the summer. After a whole section on the reorganization of municipal services, the assembly must indeed record the procedure for the redemption of McDonald's in Saint-Barthélémy, in the northern districts. For a budget of 600,000 euros, excluding fees and taxes, as the mayor Benoît Payan had committed at the beginning of June. "Finally, we are no longer going to live with the sword of Damocles of a multinational, we are going to be freed from a potential conflict, from a manu militari expulsion", rejoices Fathi Bouaroua, one of the figures of the 'After.

This high place of social struggle against the American burger giant had taken on yet another dimension with the first confinement: former McDonald's employees, volunteers and residents of the neighborhood then requisitioned the premises to organize food aid.

Since then, the solidarity platform has not stopped, and the project was born from a “people's SCI” to take over the walls in a sustainable way and launch a “fast-social food”.

Tour of Europe

But for Fathi Bouaroua, the city's takeover of McDonald's does not mean the end of the game, quite the contrary. “The dynamic very quickly slowed down after this announcement, the great Marseille but also national and international momentum quickly stopped, with the idea that the matter was settled, continues Fathi Bouaroua. But this is only the beginning, the project continues! The team begins a tour of Europe this summer which will start with Belgium and end in October. Stages are also planned in French cities, such as Grenoble.

In fact, the 150,000 euros raised so far remain insufficient to carry out the project, which includes the launch of fast-social food, with initially 37 employees, but also the development on the site of a building where to continue. mutual aid.

"If 25,000 people put in 25 euros, we will have the means to do the work and get started," says Fathi Bouaroua.

"Above all, we need the project to remain a real citizen project," he adds for the benefit of the new municipal majority.

Suffice to say that the expected speech of the mayor on the file will be listened to with attention by the After M. "Probably, he will announce the modalities of the continuation", anticipates Fathi Bouaroua who, failing to be able to acquire the places via a foundation, hopes obtain an assurance of perpetuating the After M. Via a long tenancy lease for example.

Marseilles

Marseille: The town hall buys a McDonald's in the northern districts intended to become a solidarity fast-food

Society

Marseille: From McDonald's to L'Après-M, a real popular third place is being built

  • Society

  • Marseilles

  • Mcdonalds

  • Social

  • Northern neighborhoods