In Dijon, the only urban ZAD in France on borrowed time

Not far from the rich mansions of the historic city center, an island of dense vegetation is barely visible. In this surprising jungle, a labyrinth of paths leads to a disparate habitat: shacks with hesitant architecture; old squatted buildings; caravans covered in mold.

"Welcome to the Lentillères free district," announces a sign covered in ivy.

"There are about a hundred of us," estimates "Tristan" (not his real name), 31, who has lived there "for about ten years." "I didn't have a place to live. I moved here out of necessity, but also out of choice: I wanted to participate in the fight against a destructive project," he told AFP.

In March 2010, activists took over these former market garden lands, where local residents still cultivate small plots, to prevent a real estate project of 1.400 homes.

Over the years, the 8-hectare site has been equipped to live self-sufficiently: a bread oven, a vegetable garden, a "free-price canteen" and a "poop bar" (dry toilets).

"But we're not claiming ZAD status," Tristan clarifies, referring to the "Zones to Defend," the most famous of which was set up by opponents of the airport project in Notre-Dame-des-Landes. "We're a self-managed neighborhood," he prefers.

"And supportive," adds Camille, 32, who has been living in Les Lentillères for five years: many working residents financially help those in need. "Anyway, we need very little because we recycle, we eat our own vegetables," she explains. "It's a viable economic model. We've proven it."

"We all live together: families, exiles..." she adds. "We welcome those who don't fit into the boxes here," confirms Tristan.

Ultimatum

In November 2019, the occupants of Les Lentillères obtained the partial abandonment of the real estate project, but the town hall continued to demand their "regularization." It is true that the existence of this lawless zone in the heart of Dijon looked bad for the then mayor, François Rebsamen, a Macron-compatible socialist who was seeking to become a minister (this would be done at the end of 2014 at the Territorial Planning Department).

Increasing the pressure, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that he would no longer tolerate "any ZAD" in 2023. According to him, the Lentillères are the "only urban ZAD in France" and are among 42 sites likely to "give rise to extremely violent protests."

Dijon "needs housing," adds Socialist Nathalie Koenders, who became mayor after Mr. Rebsamen's appointment to the government. "We have 1.000 applications pending," she says. She is therefore relaunching a real estate project, this time for 60 homes, on 1,14 hectares of the ZAD.

"We won't build on the rest," she promised AFP, provided the occupants "legalize" their situation, for example by creating an association that would sign a lease with the city hall. "I'm reaching out. But I'm giving them an ultimatum until October. Otherwise, they'll be evicted," the mayor warned.

Ms. Koenders particularly denounces "deplorable" living conditions. She admits to never having entered the ZAD but cites a fire that occurred last January as proof.

According to the mayor's first deputy, Antoine Hoareau, who visited the scene, the fire revealed a "real shantytown," "far from the idyllic vision" conveyed by the occupants.

The ZADists have still not finalized their response to the town hall, saying they "need time," according to Tristan.

In the search for a solution, we will also have to rely on the hundred or so local residents who cultivate a small garden in Lentillères and are also against its "concreting".

"No, I don't want them to build," Roland Garrot, 77, told AFP, transplanting strawberry plants in his vegetable garden. "I've been here for about 40 years, before the free quarter. Since they moved in, I've never had a problem."