The Paris attacks, particularly the one that decimated the Charlie Hebdo editorial team, were felt as a moral offense to freedom of expression, whether it was iconoclastic and provocative from the magazine and its (not always) humorous cartoonists.
We will not dwell on the popular emotion that could be summarized by the phrase that went around the world: “Je suis Charlie.” Nice was also at the forefront, and Place Garibaldi was the scene of the first gathering demonstration.
A free voice, speaking to those willing to listen, to those who are not, so that ideas circulate and words are heard. This is the meaning of “freedom of expression” beyond the false-democrats of the latest hours.
This is why the initiative by the association AdN to turn the tree in Place Garibaldi into “Espace Charlie” has all its legitimacy and is an opportunity for the Municipality of Nice and its mayor, who claims to be “popular,” to support it.
What could be more symbolic than having, in front of the statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi (another dissonant voice in history!), a space for free expression and democracy to allow everyone to speak to others!
We know the famous “speaker’s corner” in Hyde Park, London, which was admired in its time and still is for its innovative role.
Mr. Mayor, why shouldn’t Nice have its own?
In difficult times, we must have the courage to move forward, and to the demand for more democracy, we must respond with more participative democracy.
Espace Charlie symbolically moves in this direction.