A fine of 35 euros for “arbitrary occupation of public places” – mosquitoes

Angoulême city. (BelgaImage)

The city of Angoulême in France is making headlines again with a new municipal ordinance that punishes behavior in public. The concern with this new system is that almost everyone can be fined! Indeed, this city in Charente wants to settle down.Arbitrary occupation of public places“.

In 2014, the city’s city council made headlines ever since it decided, in consultation with the city’s merchants, to fence off some public benches to prevent the homeless from taking long breaks or sleeping there. In the face of outcry against this decision, Angoulême finally gave up on carrying out this decree.

This week, the order that was just put in place targets a lot of people because it says that “Individuals grouped together are immobile or not very mobile, are not in transit and generate nuisance»A fine of 35 euros.

The decree states the following:Any abusive and prolonged occupation of streets and other public places, that is, by individuals gathered together, immobile or not very mobile, who are not in transit and generates a nuisance (noise, damage, threats, etc.) by or local residents“.

This system primarily targets marginalized people, travelers and youth.”To remind the rules of good manners and courtesy“, Confirms In Le Parisien newspaper Jean-Philippe Bossuet, deputy mayor of Angoulême in charge of security, who indicates that he has the support of the prefecture in this decision. “This is not an anti-beggary decreeHe remembers. “Someone begging without disturbing the public space is not a problem. A person lying in the middle of a pedestrian street if“.

According to him, “We must ensure the security of the city. This decree is for the sake of saying: move, leave, or act differentlyJean-Philippe Bossuet concludes from Paris.