Le Figaro Marseille
The scene remained engraved in the memory of Myriam*, a nurse at the public hospital responsible for caring for patients at home.
“I went into a local pharmacy to buy medicine with a colleague. A young man arrived on a scooter and asked us: “What do you want?” We stood up to him, and he ended up leaving. But what would have happened if he had had a knife?
, she remembers angrily.
For around fifteen years, this forty-year-old working in the northern districts of Marseille has witnessed, helplessly, a real deterioration of her working conditions in the field. In Le
Figaro
, she confides that she is regularly the target of intimidation and
“threats”
from lookouts and drug dealers who have invaded her places of intervention.
“These young people no longer have any consideration for patients and caregivers. When we are not simply turned away, we must always show our credentials by opening our car, presenting our blouse or badge
,” she says.
“We also receive physical threats, with some dealers telling us that they have “spotted” our unmarked cars. It becomes complicated to treat people in these conditions
,” regrets Myriam.
“It is difficult to enter many neighborhoods, such as
Oliviers A
, Félix Pyat or
Parc Kalliste
. Too often, professionals are at best returned to the sender and at worst attacked
,” confirms Kader Benayed, SUD Santé general secretary working at the Édouard Toulouse hospital center.
“A form of mistrust has set in and we no longer benefit from local immunity, the dealers suspecting the caregivers of being police officers. These new phenomena are undermining our work
,” he regrets.
Neighborhoods “deprived” of their public services
These incidents also extend to the many professions who travel daily to these neighborhoods known to be difficult to carry out their public service missions. In an investigation published by
La Provence
, many firefighters working in the northern districts of the Marseille city burst the abscess and conceded that the screen-printed trucks were regularly opened by lookouts for
“checks”
. Facts known to the hierarchy of the Marseille firefighters battalion, who confirmed to Le
Figaro
that they are confronted with
“people who can disrupt”
their interventions in all types of neighborhoods, cities included. The battalion declined to make any additional comments, citing a phenomenon
“common to many professions in France”
.
The postmen, one of these professions ensuring a
“social link”
with the inhabitants of the neighborhoods, were even forced for a time to make their rounds very early in the morning to avoid meeting the gaze of the lookouts.
“In these neighborhoods, mail delivery has long been done very early in the morning. Until 2018, certain neighborhood associations even accompanied postmen to help them on their tour
,” relates Yann Remlé, staff representative for SUD PTT 13 and professional postman.
“La Poste decided to put an end to it to make economies of scale, justifying that there was no reason for these neighborhoods to benefit from specific support
,” he whispers, while conceding that Cases of mail theft or attacks on postmen are rare.
“
La Poste still chose to outsource the distribution of its parcels
and entrust it to subcontractors to protect itself. “It has thus abandoned its missions in these neighborhoods, which are gradually being deprived of their public services
,” he regrets.
This is a well-established mode of operation: public services are no longer accepted in these neighborhoods
Kader Benayed, SUD Santé general secretary
An observation shared by neighborhood associations, witnesses of this slow erosion. If they are today free of drug traffickers, the streets of La Paternelle were for a time deserted by health professionals due to the repeated shootings which led to the death of numerous lookouts in 2023.
“It was especially complicated for doctors and firefighters. As soon as we mentioned the name of La Paternelle to them, they hesitated to come
,” says Fadela, president of the
“Jeunes renaissance”
association established in the city for several years.
“It’s a well-established way of operating: public services are no longer accepted in these neighborhoods. It is very serious: when there are no more doctors, firefighters or psychologists, a breakdown in equal access to care sets in and it is a point of no return. The State is failing and drug traffickers are taking advantage of this to be seen as do-gooders among neighborhood residents
,” he emphasizes with bitterness.
“When we are threatened on the field, we complain to management, then we stop for a few days, but we end up coming back to do our job. Except that I didn't become a nurse to take a bullet in the head
,” protests Myriam, who has decided to take
“less risks”
by limiting her travel in these neighborhoods.
“A few years ago, we were delighted to go to the city to see patients. Now we are thinking about preserving ourselves. But if we start to protect ourselves, we leave the boat
,” she says.
*
The first name has been changed.