the town hall accused of cutting water from a fountain to keep the homeless

In recent days, the average temperature is 30 degrees in Nice during the afternoon. Despite the heat, the free drinking fountain on Place du Pin, in the city center, has been dry since the beginning of summer. In an article published Thursday, Nice Matin explained that this was a decision of the municipality, with the aim of keeping the homeless away from this wealthy neighborhood.

columns of the local daily, Gilda Armi, the president of the neighborhood merchants' badociation, said that this water point attracted the homeless, and that "the vision of homelessness can reduce the clientele of some and, consequently, altering their turnover. " Other merchants favoring the measure evoke a "security concern". According to the newspaper, the closing of the tap was decided at the end of May on the occasion of a meeting of the Garibaldi district with traders, residents and the town hall.

"This is unacceptable"

After the publication of the article Nice Matin the news caused an uproar, especially on social networks . A citizen collective baptized "All citizens" also denounced this controversial decision.

"In Nice, there are no toilets or free public showers that the homeless could use, they are deprived of any means of maintaining a minimum of hygiene, and then pretexts of their filth to keep them away. access to drinking water is unacceptable, it is not about political positioning or even solidarity with the poorest, it is about the respect of the minimal conditions of existence ", considers the collective in the document cited by AFP

The Town Hall denounces "a controversy that has no place to be"

In a statement released this Friday, the Mayor of Nice refutes the idea of ​​having wanted to move away without Shelters.

"The City of Nice categorically refutes the accusation of having closed the fountain of the Place du Pin to move away homeless people and denounces an unworthy controversy that has no place," says the municipality

"Many residents and traders wanted the temporary cut of a single fountain on a requalified square due to inappropriate use that generated nuisance and incivilities including from people with housing ", writes on its Twitter account the mayor directed by Christian Estrosi.

It announces that a" wider consultation will take place in the coming days in order to set up a fountain more adapted allowing only the hydration and the drink " . In addition, she says she pays particular attention to people who are vulnerable in these hot days, "including the homeless". In response to the accusations she faces, she also replies that the city has "120 fountains in self-service".