Paris council use BOULDERS to drive migrants away from makeshift camp
FACEBOOK Limehouse boulders were dumped along the strip of a major road in northern Paris in a bid to stop mi
Ten huge rocks were scattered along l'avenue Président-Wilson - a wide avenue located some 100m from the overcrowded porte de La Chapelle reception centre - over the weekend, the French daily Le Parisien reports. Forced to sleep rough on the streets after being repeatedly turned away from the 400-bed centre, migrants have set up a makeshift camp along the sheltered strip, which is currently strewn with rocks, rubbish and sleeping bags. The local council's controversial decision, however, has sparked a storm of outrage, and has been branded as both "shameful and disgusting" by pro-migrant militants.
I can't believe officials put the boulders there. It's a waste of money Marin, a local resident
Marin, a local resident, told Le Parisien: "I can't believe officials put the boulders there just to stop migrants from sleeping outside the reception centre. It's such a waste of money." Marwan, a young Sudanese migrant, told the daily newspaper that sleeping on a rock was "really hard," both literally and figuratively speaking. Some porte de Le Chapelle locals, however, believe that officials had no choice but to dump the 'anti-migrant' rocks along the strip.
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FACEBOOK The move has sparked outrage from pro-migrant militants
Jean-Claude, a local resident, said: "I know, it sounds shocking, but the council had no other choice. "Officials are just trying to stop tent cities from sprouting up around Paris. And the porte de Le Chapelle reception centre is a magnet for migrants." Paris officials, for their part, did not deny that the boulders had been placed along the strip in a bid to "clear" the area; but argued that the piece of land would soon be turned into a "construction site" and that sleeping there was "not safe".
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