Six Key Stories from Lyon This Week: Mediators, World Cup, and Firefighter Shows
Lyon, July 13 – Every Sunday, Le Progrès reviews the six most significant news stories from Lyon. This week’s highlights include street mediators working to ease evening tensions, the continued absence of a World Cup fan zone, and the highly anticipated firefighter ball.
1. Street Mediators Patrol Lyon to De-escalate Evening Tensions
For the past five years, between June and September, mediators from the Lyon Tranquillity Mediation Agency have been patrolling the streets of Lyon’s first and second arrondissements. Operating in pairs, they engage with shopkeepers, bouncers, and passers-by to manage conflicts, assist individuals in distress, and address public incivility. This initiative, according to Lyon’s Deputy Security Officer Philippe Prietto, often prevents direct confrontations and serves as a crucial first step before police intervention. Their presence aims to maintain peace and order in the city’s nightlife.
2. No Fan Zone for World Cup Semi-Finals in Lyon
Despite the French national football team reaching the World Cup semi-finals after their victory against Morocco, the Lyon municipality has maintained its stance against setting up a fan zone. While neighboring towns like Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, Vénissieux, Saint-Fons, and Villeurbanne have offered such facilities, Lyon’s ecological administration remains inflexible. However, the city will consider the possibility of a fan zone for the final on Sunday, July 19, should France qualify. Any potential fan zone would be a secure, controlled environment with security personnel present.
3. Corneille Firefighters Prepare for Spectacular Ball
Firefighters from the Corneille barracks (Lyon 3) have dedicated nearly thirty hours over three months to rehearse their annual show. Between emergency calls, a dozen firefighters have been perfecting a breathtaking dance performance. Suspended 25 meters high on the building’s facade, they will rappel down, performing jumps and figures, shedding their uniforms to the rhythm of a Michael Jackson song. The show, which promises many surprises, will be presented during two balls on Monday, July 13, and Tuesday, July 14.
4. ‘Les Petites Cantines’ in Vaise Closes After Ten Years
The residents of Vaise have bid farewell to ‘Les Petites Cantines’ in their neighborhood, the first of its kind. This community kitchen aimed to foster social connections through cooking, with a team of volunteers preparing lunch daily. However, the concept, which has inspired 27 other locations across France, is now ‘running out of steam,’ according to Aurore Oppenot, president of the Lyon 9 structure. Vaise served as the project’s successful ten-year laboratory.
5. Mobile Municipal Police Units Launched to Build Trust
The Lyon municipality has launched a pilot program for mobile municipal police units. On Wednesday, a dozen officers engaged with residents at the Croix-Rousse market, responding to questions and addressing daily concerns. These units will travel to various arrondissements throughout the summer, aiming to re-establish contact, foster dialogue, and raise awareness among the population. This initiative, a campaign promise from Mayor Grégory Doucet, is now led by his Deputy Security Officer Philippe Prieto. While currently relying on voluntary participation from officers, the city may acquire a dedicated vehicle for the program, which is expected to be permanent.
6. Urgent Stabilization Work on Choulans Embankment Wall
Urgent stabilization work was carried out this Friday on the Choulans embankment wall, located between Montée de Choulans and Montée des Génovéfains. The wall, which showed signs of collapse due to fissures, required immediate securing, according to the Métropole de Lyon’s engineering department. A water leak in the sanitation network is believed to be the cause. A wooden support structure has been installed to brace the wall and prevent its fall, ahead of a second phase of securing in August. Fissure gauges have been attached to monitor any movement or widening of the cracks.
Source: leprogres.fr
