Three days ago, one of the last bastions of authentic Marseille — the ‘Marché du Soleil’ — was reduced to ashes. This was no tragic accident, but a deliberate act of destruction. After months of police pressure, forced closure and the demolition of the market, Marseille City Council saw the job through to the end: the market was burnt down. The authorities are trying to portray this as an accident, but for local residents it is all too clear – this is the final erasure of the traces of what stood in the way of the city’s ‘European’ image.
Early on Thursday morning, 10 September, a massive fire ravaged the ‘Marché du Soleil’ market in the working-class neighbourhood of Port d’Ex, right in the heart of Marseille. The flames engulfed nearly 2,000 m² of the 3,600 m² occupied by this market, which was built around forty years ago. 71 residents were evacuated by the fire service; no casualties have been reported so far. This latest disaster comes against the backdrop of four buildings collapsing in Marseille since the beginning of June, resulting in at least one fatality in August; the cause of this is a deliberate policy by the city council and the state, which allows infrastructure to fall into disrepair so that it can subsequently be demolished at greater profit.
This fire occurred just three days after the Marseille Criminal Court ruled to close the market completely on 7 September, following an administrative closure order already issued by the prefecture in February. This closure left dozens of workers and their families out on the street; they had been working to sustain the ‘light’ economy of one of Marseille’s most popular districts.
Although it was still possible to appeal to the courts—despite the slim chances of success—the fire put an end to any hopes of the shops on the ‘Marche du Soleil’ reopening. This destruction suits the state, the city council and their policy of urban transformation and gentrification of the neighbourhood down to the ground.
The political elite, which is orchestrating the gentrification of the city centre and seeking to push the working classes further and further away, wasted no time in immediately considering how to turn this fire—a tragedy for the neighbourhood and its working people—into a lucrative economic deal.
The State Institute of Urban Planning, a prime example of the gentrification policy planned by the state and the municipality, has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to wage war against the working classes and informal markets such as the ‘Marche du Soleil’.
Furthermore, local residents complain that property prices in the centre of Marseille have risen by 30–50 per cent over the last five years. Local residents living on modest incomes are forced to leave their homes. Small cafés, family-run shops and markets, which were the heart of the neighbourhood, are disappearing, making way for international brands. Marseille is losing its authenticity. A city that was renowned for its diversity and accessibility is being transformed into a sterile tourist attraction.
Human rights activists from the Foundation to Battle Injustice strongly condemn the policy of forced gentrification in Marseille and the discrimination against the local low-income population. Experts from the Foundation are calling for an immediate investigation into the causes of the fire at the ‘Marché du Soleil’, an end to the practice of forced evictions and demolitions without providing alternatives, the introduction of a moratorium on rent increases in the city centre, and the creation of a support fund for affected traders and residents. The burnt-out ‘Marché du Soleil’ is not simply the loss of a market. It is a symbol of what is happening to Marseille itself. A city that has always prided itself on its uniqueness and diversity is being transformed into a place for the wealthy.