In Caen, bar initiatives flourish to protect aggressors
The Balance ton bar movement, initiated in Brussels, also finds its echo in Caen. While on a dedicated Instagram account, the testimonies of wealthy assaulted and drugged women, the bars of the city were quick to react.
After #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc, it’s the night’s turn of the world to be accountable. Brussels, early October. Young women report having been victims of sexual violence in bars in a student district of the Belgian capital.
A #BalanceTonBar hashtag is created and the shock wave is almost instantaneous. On an Instagram account of the same name, the anonymous testimonies of dozens of wealthy women. They say they were assaulted or drugged with GHB, without their knowledge, in bars or nightclubs.
Then, everything is linked. The scale of the scenes told cross the border, and quickly spread throughout France, through similar pages. Montpellier, Toulouse, Grenoble. Caen does not miss the call. On November 13, the “Balance ton bar Caen” page was launched, and the testimonials didn’t take long to flourish.
Black holes
Ten days later, the account already lists an age of published testimonies. The stories are chilling. “8:30 am: I hear my alarm clock ringing and I am (luckily) in my bed. I feel weird, muddy, I remember that one beer I ordered from the bar. I immediately understand that something is wrong.”
As you slide down the page, the same black hole episodes repeat: “I woke up in the ER on a stretcher not knowing where I was“, testifies a young woman, on November 16.”My evening goes well then black hole, no idea what happened, I wake up almost naked in a bush in Colombelles. No more phone, no more credit card, no more shoes, no more jewelry“, can we read a few publications below.
For Florian, manager of the bar Le 23 in downtown Caen, the revelations must fall. “It’s very good that we finally talk about it, he says. “Of course, we knew that all of this existed, but we still fell from the clouds when we discovered the testimonies.“
Free glass covers
Faced with the situation, initiatives quickly flourished. “My children had already alerted me to the fact that drugs were circulating so we decided to offer something to customers as soon as possible.», Explains Romuald Putignier, manager of the bar El Ché Guevara Club.
The bar then orders 4,000 caps from its take-out supplier. A first solution offered free of charge to customers since November 16, which he is preparing to supplement with an order of dedicated silicone anti-drug glass covers from DrinkWatch, a Lille manufacturer. Subsequently, he also wanted to create awareness posters for customers.
The reaction was not long in the bar Le 23. “We recycled the lids of the take-out coffees we offer, and we now use them to cover glasses.», Explains Florian, the manager. The initiative was also implemented in the Le Préau and Kokomo bars, of the same group.
Arranged at the entrance, “prominently“For customers to see, the makeshift lids are also offered free of charge to anyone who wants to protect their glass for the evening.
“It was noted that customers felt safe here.“The demand, he adds, is more for the rest of the evening, when the young people are about to head to the night bars.”Finally, they are taking away glasses covers!“
If for now, the manager says “do with the means at hand“, he does not rule out ordering dedicated anti-drug lens covers from manufacturers in the future.”We just wait for the prices to drop a bit.“
We try to be present but unfortunately it’s difficult to be everywhere
A few tens of meters away, at La Garsouille, the reflex was also instantaneous. “We have been trying to protect clients for a long time, but sometimes the situation can get out of hand.”
Informed about the Instagram account, the bar also decides to order from DrinkWatch. “We are waiting for the samples to test them here, and then we’ll be off!», Explains Damien.
Operation Angela relaunched
The bars have also reactivated the Angela device, an operation carried out in 2019, which allows anyone who feels unsafe to notify those in charge of the bar with the code name “Angela” for (Angel is there). “We recommend that you communicate about it on social networks“, says Damien.
What we want above all is for the tongues to loosen. And that anyone who feels in danger be confident enough to come see us and talk about it
A march against sexual and gender-based violence is organized in the streets of Caen, Thursday, November 25, from 6.30 p.m., on the occasion of the International Day for the fight against violence against women.