Police entered the historic venue early on Tuesday morning to remove hundreds of migrants and pro-immigration activists. It is reported that almost 50 arrests were made, while several protestors and police officers were injured during the raid.
“At this stage, it was the right thing to do because the situation was very complex, very tense and very dangerous inside the building”, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo reacted on France Inter after the event.
La Gaité Lyrique a été évacuée. Laurent Nunez et @BrunoRetailleau veulent envoyer ces migrants à Orléans puis en province dans les villages.
Bref… pic.twitter.com/82wAKJ0yWB— Pierre Sautarel (@FrDesouche) March 18, 2025
The police operation, which lasted more than three hours, came a month after a judge at the Paris Administrative Court ordered the evacuation of the building. The council initially refused to involve the police.
La Gaîté Lyrique had been occupied by around 450 members of the Collectif des Jeunes du Parc de Belleville migrant group and their supporters since they were invited to attend a free conference on refugees on December 10. The group has been demanding better accommodation for migrants.
All performances were cancelled a few days later, with the theatre effectively closed for the three months since.
Theatre’s future uncertain
While the theatre initially signalled some support for the migrants’ plight, it admitted in January that its future was uncertain as it relies on ticket sales for more than 70% of its revenue.
La Gaîté Lyrique staff offered security and welfare services to the protestors until late February when it was announced that the venue was no longer considered safe.
In February, venue stakeholders said in a statement: “We call on the Paris City Hall, cultural stakeholders, representatives of the social and solidarity economy, civil society, and committed public authorities to defend a common vision, shared values, and the ambition to come together and act collectively. We call on them to mobilise now to preserve the Gaîté Lyrique and save an open, fertile, and supportive space, to participate in the making of the era.
“La Gaîté Lyrique and its entire team will be able to resume management, maintenance and operation of the building as soon as the competent authorities have provided shelter to the occupants and met the safety and health conditions necessary for the reintegration of employees and residents.”
La Gaîté Lyrique dates back to the 1860s, with its 1800-seat hall staging operattas and ballet in its early days. However, it fell into disrepair more recently and was turned into a culture centre.