FIFTYNORMAL

Categories: [Documentary]  [Paris]  [...View All]

Paris Burns

We left Paris weeks before the riots began. But while we were there, the seeds of unrest were planted -- among them, this fire in the Marais district. Squatters had taken root in a centuries-old tenement. The wiring that coursed the crusted structure were an obvious risk for its residents. But dozens lived there, gambling with their own safety.

Many buildings in Paris are occupied in this manner. Signs warning of a building's condition don't stop squatters from taking refuge within. It's a desperate situation for the entire country, which draws immigrants from all over the globe but cannot provide affordable housing to the poor.

This fire killed several young African immigrants. It was part of a chain of accidental fires last year that sparked rioters to demand that the government take action in caring for immigrants and the poor.

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