STORY: :: French police evict hundreds of migrants who were occupying a cultural center in Paris
:: March 18, 2025
:: Paris, France
:: Dialo Ammediou, Migrant from Guinea
:: “We had no place to go, we were sleeping outside and we needed a roof so that we don’t have to spend the night outdoors, because this winter has been really cold here. So we had no choice but to occupy the Gaite Lyrique (cultural center).”
:: Dialo Abdelrahman, Migrant from Guinea
:: “I am not feeling well. A country (France) that has colonized your country (Guinea) cannot treat you like that. Even though we are immigrants, a country that has colonized your country cannot do that.”
Hundreds of protesters were gathered outside the Gaite Lyrique cultural center overnight, chanting against the eviction order for the migrants.
The occupiers left the building in the early hours of Tuesday mainly without the use of force. Police briefly used tear gas to disperse the protesters near the building, who gathered again shortly thereafter.
