It seems to have begun from a trivial matter. A financial dispute amounting to fifteen euros. A piece of hash sold by a Maghrebian to a Chechen. Up until then, nothing truly reprehensible. Yes, but the drug in question was of poor quality. Offended by this affront, the young man wanted to take revenge.
Last Saturday, four Maghrebians were attacked with a weapon by a small group of Chechens. One of the attacked, seriously injured, will suffer lasting effects. The retaliation was swift. The same evening, several vehicles belonging to the Chechen community were set on fire.
After these arsons, the tension eased somewhat. The police forces took the necessary actions. The number of officers on duty was increased and supported by the BAC. The law enforcement took the opportunity to conduct raids on the different protagonists. Various types of weapons were found.
But this apparent calm remains ephemeral, fragile. On Monday, a young Chechen received a cut to the face with a box cutter. That was enough to spark new confrontations. The following day, the response was quick. Masked youths shot at a young man on a scooter near a school. “In broad daylight, in the street,” a resident reported. It was close to a tragedy. The images of urban guerrilla from June 2005 in the heart of Perpignan come to mind, where clashes between the Gypsy and Maghrebian communities in the Saint-Jacques neighborhood cost two people their lives.
Today (Wednesday), the tension was still visible. Around noon, a dispute broke out. A mother accused “a young black” of having slapped her son. Many people gathered, and the police had to intervene.
Beyond this unfortunate story of drugs, how did the two communities reach such levels of violence? A young resident from 150 Ariane Boulevard tries to explain the clashes: “The Chechens like to provoke us. They keep staring at us. Even when we’re with our brothers, they ogle us. They have no respect.”
Yet, the two communities are Muslim and share certain traditions. “In our building, during Ramadan, we shared meals,” the young woman adds. “Some celebrated Eid together. But right now, there’s no mixing.”
For Sonia, a municipal worker who grew up in Ariane, there’s no doubt about the conflict’s origin: “Since they arrived en masse two years ago, the Chechens provoke. There was quite a bit of tension even before this week. But it’s only normal when OPAM places thirty families in the same building.”
However, from the side of the public office, they refute this thesis. “We are powerless. There aren’t enough social housings, and when the young people destroy property, we have no recourse. We can’t touch their wallets or force them to repair the damages.” But the officer raises another issue: “We placed around fifty families of political refugees, but we don’t even count the number of squatters anymore.” Before pointing fingers at “both the right and the left who have let the situation rot.”
