While Christendom celebrated "New Year's Eve," the material toll of this night in the Rhône department proves heavy and distressing for honest citizens.
A Night Under High Surveillance, Marked by Flames
Respect for public order and the property of others seems to diminish year after year. Despite a substantial security deployment, law enforcement was unable to prevent the destruction of numerous private properties. According to reports, approximately "80 vehicles were set on fire" in the department, incidents that occurred "exclusively in police zones within the Lyon metropolis." In addition to these automobiles, "dozens of trash bins fell prey to flames," adding to the ugliness of the urban landscape in the early morning.
In an attempt to contain these excesses, the State had nonetheless mobilized significant resources. Thus, "nearly 800 police officers and gendarmes" were present on the ground to oversee the festivities. This reinforced deployment notably included "550 police officers, 250 gendarmes, a squadron of gendarmes, two CRS companies including CRS 83, as well as a helicopter."
The Foci of Desolation in the Metropolis
While the Rhône prefecture has not released any official figures, on-the-ground observations are damning. The commune of Vaulx-en-Velin appears the most affected by these acts of vandalism. It "records the highest number of burned vehicles with 26 vehicles affected, seven of them by fire spread." The images of charred carcasses, like those seen on "rue des Plates" or on "chemin de la Godille," bear witness to the violence of the fire.
However, the damage was not confined to this single locality. Incidents were distributed across various communes of the metropolis, affecting "Villeurbanne, Rillieux-la-Pape, Bron, Feyzin, Décines-Charpieu, Chassieu, Caluire, Givors, Meyzieu, as well as the 3rd arrondissement of Lyon." In Givors, for example, firefighters courageously intervened for "three vehicles ablaze in a parking lot," located on "rue Marcel-Cachin." Similarly, in the 8th arrondissement of Lyon, a "Range Rover" was set on fire on rue Pierre-Delore.
The Helplessness of Residents in the Face of Destruction
The injustice of these acts strikes families directly. In Chassieu, the material drama unfolded at the foot of residences on Impasse des Charpennes, buildings that were "recently renovated." It was 4 o'clock in the morning when the fire started. Despite the alarm raised by "helpless residents" and the rapid response of emergency services, they "could do nothing to save three vehicles from complete destruction," namely "an Audi and two Renaults."
A False Calm and a Disregard for Rules
It is troubling to note that this toll is presented as following a "trend similar to that of last year." Furthermore, it seems that "over the last ten years, this New Year's Eve would have been the calmest in terms of clashes with law enforcement." Indeed, "no major clashes are to be reported" and, fortunately, "no injuries are to be reported."
Nevertheless, this absence of direct clashes does not signify the reign of peace. About fifteen individuals had to be arrested for serious reasons: "use of firework mortars, possession of narcotics, damage, violence with a weapon or aggravated violence, refusal to comply, burning of trash bins or barricades, as well as phone thefts."
Finally, public authority was once again defied. Despite the formal ban by the prefecture on the use of pyrotechnic devices, "numerous fires were launched into the sky, including in the heart of Lyon" at the turn of the new year. The evening thus remained "overall tense but remained under control" thanks to the massive presence of law enforcement, averting the worst but unable to prevent the destruction of eighty properties belonging to our fellow citizens.