Stéphane Burgatt, edited by Juliette Moreau Alvarez 9:00 p.m., January 09, 2023

For ten days, residents of a city in the Apple district, in Marseille, have organized themselves to keep their building.

They take turns daily day and night to prevent drug traffickers from occupying their entrance hall.

The situation remains very tense between dealers and tenants.

NEWS EUROPE 1

Every day, from noon to 2 am, they take turns at the entrance to their building.

Residents of a city in the Apple district of Marseille have united to prevent the installation of a drug sales point in their building hall.

Since December 31, dealers have been trying to set up a narcotics point of sale there.

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"They want to invest the place"

"We are here to protect ourselves, our children, our elderly and our neighbours."

At the entrance to building H, the tenants are determined.

It's been almost ten days that they have not let go to ensure that their building does not become a deal point.

"We've been planted here like figurines for ten days," reports a mother.

"We take turns between neighbours, we blockade them so that they don't settle. If they settle, then it's dead. I really hope it will stop because we won't last indefinitely" she worries.

The situation remains very tense with the dealers.

"We are fed up, we can no longer leave our house quietly. They spit on us, we put cigarette butts in the mailboxes and we are insulted", reports a tenant.

"They are young people but they are hooded in the hall. We cannot talk to them!", He is indignant.

Everyone is on the lookout to take possession of the entrance hall.

"One evening the front door was open and I closed it, so they kicked it! They want to take over the place, but we don't want it."

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“There can be slippages”

The inhabitants have also taped a poster to the entrance of the building to indicate to the traffickers that they are not welcome.

The latter did not choose this city without history at random, according to the mayor of the sector Sylvain Souvestre: "What are the dealers looking for? A little discretion and above all residences like this, because it is quiet and withdrawn."

The mayor is still worried about the inhabitants of this building.

"It's not up to the people to police themselves," he said.

"There can be slippages, these are young people who no longer have filters or brakes."

For these reasons, police rounds and arrests are increasing in the area, according to the police headquarters.

For its part, the social landlord also undertakes to hire security guards, but also to activate security barriers at the entrances to the residence.