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Statue of Marianne, at Place de la République, in the center of Paris, covered in graffiti
The Paris City Council is determined to locate and process the “serial graffitters” that mark the historical monuments, statues and large buildings of the city. “They are like dogs to piss against a wall to mark their territory.”
In the center of Paris, in Place de La République, the magnificent lions at the foot of the statue of Marianne are again covered with graffiti. Throughout neighboring Boulevard Saint-Martin, part of the Boulevards Grands that divide the north of the city, the trunk of each Plátano was roughly painted with a name.
The façades of the majestic stone apartment buildings, some over 200, are also “label” with initials or stylized names. The same is true of banks, flower boxes, entrance doors, mailboxes and pedestal under the bust of Baron Taylor, a half -century half -century playwright.
In fact, everything that does not move was marked with graffiti, says the.
Now, the Paris City Council has declared vandal war and promised to locate them, process them and ask for compensation for some of the damage, estimated in 6 million euroswhich cause every year.
The latest anti-graffiti campaign is being carried out by Ariel Weilo maire of Paris Center, on the right bank of the seine. The mayor is particularly annoyed with Repeated acts of vandalism against Mariannethe nation’s female symbol and a classified historical monument.
“I asked the police to use filming chambers and I will appeal to justice Each time and Calculate the cost for the city in each case“Weil said to.“ Everyone needs to work together: the City Council, the police and the courts. People have to know that damaging a public building is nothing“.
François LouisPresident of a Parisian association that uses the official application of the City Council to mark damage, antisocial behaviors in public spaces, says that I’ve heard all this before.
According to Louis, a main group of about 50 “Serial Gaffitters” It is responsible for Half of the labels throughout the cityand has been with impunity for decades.
“Some of these serial gaffitters are detained, released and graffittar again the next day. Some take photographs or filming themselves and publish on social networks. Act with total impunity“Said Louis.
“We have to Take those who do it times without. The National Police should not be unable to investigate, in fact, it is disconcertingly easy. They should collect CCTV images, compare them with telephone records and locate these series labels, ”he adds.
“Imagine if notre of Dame was graffitized? When they marked the triumph arc it was first page news, so why we are letting these people vandalize Place de la republique’s historical monument?” Asks François Louis.
Paris police say the number of cases of vandalism increased 51% in the last two years, from 317 to 479. People taken to court and convicted may face Up to two years in prison and fines up to 30,000 euros for the most serious damage.
Despite repeated threats of repression of the serial graffitters, in three years Only one lawsuit was filed. In 2022, a Paris court sentenced a man known as Six Sax two months in prison and applied a fine of 17,000 euros.
Emmanuel Grégoireformer vice-mayor of Paris, says the authorities have been compile files on the worst serial graffitterswith a view to producing evidence for any lawsuits.
“We have agents that take pictures and consult social networks and AI To identify signatures, ”he said. Many of the graffitters are not anonymousbut operate under their own names, go from balcony to balcony, marking the citywith a sense of impunity“.
Louis says the omnipresent graffittis They are a spot in the magnificent Grands Boulevards avenues. “It gives a very bad impression. People have a certain image of the city, arrive here and find whole neighborhoods destroyed by graffites. They are like dogs to piss against a wall to mark its territory ”.
