REPORTAGE
The decision was hoped for by both the elected officials and the inhabitants. While Île-de-France remains classified red for deconfinement, the Seine-Saint-Denis prefecture has authorized the reopening, on an experimental basis, of La Courneuve park and its more than 400 hectares. Thursday, many Courneuviens went there, by bike or on foot, to enjoy the rays of the sun.
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"I'm very happy. Staying confined for months is not always easy," says a walker at the microphone of Europe 1, rejoicing to be able to "breathe, see something else". "We have been waiting for a while," said another, ensuring that he followed the authorities' instructions. "We do as they said: each on their own, and there is no problem."
"There are a lot of animals"
Because the reopening of the park was allowed under conditions, and walkers are instructed to always stay on the move. To avoid regrouping, picnics are therefore prohibited, and wooden tables such as children's games have been condemned.
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These long weeks of closure have in any case transformed the park. "There are a lot of animals. We saw rabbits, squirrels, geese, ducks," says Caroline, who came with her two sons. For their part, the municipal employees began to maintain the park again, and pruned the trees and mowed the lawn, which had grown quietly for two months.