the City condemns the presence of a circus with wild animals
A circus has set up on private land in the Marseilles municipality without authorization according to the town hall, which also recalled its opposition to circuses with wild animals.
The town hall of Marseille attacks the circus performers of the Muller circus. The City indicated this Wednesday in a press release, the presence of this show “The Magic of the Circus” on private land in the municipality without having received prior authorization.
“Circuses with animals are not welcome in Marseille”
The circus present near the Grand Littoral shopping center in the 15th arrondissement of the city plans to stay in Marseille until March 27. A choice opposed by the municipality led by Benoît Payan. If it does not have the power to expel circus performers from private land, the town hall issued a decree on Tuesday not to authorize the opening of the circus to the public.
“Circuses with animals are not welcome in Marseille, especially when they do not respect the basic rules of authorization requests and security for the reception of the public. These are practices that belong to the past”, underlines in the press release, Christine Juste, deputy (EELV) of Benoît Payan in charge of the environment.
About fifty animals present
For his part, the director of the circus Alexandre Muller explains that he does not define the circus without the presence of animals. His has about fifty.
“It’s really a passion, they are not performing artists. They are there because we love animals. It’s a passion, ”he argues with BFM Marseille.
A law against animal abuse was however adopted on November 18 by Parliament. This provides for the gradual banning of wild animals in circuses and dolphinariums. It will be prohibited to present them to the public within two years and to hold them within seven years.
In its press release, the City of Marseille also recalls Benoît Payan’s regular opposition to circuses exploiting wild animals in their shows. As early as July 2020, less than a month after taking office, Benoît Payan, then first deputy mayor of Marseille, had already underlined the town hall’s desire to ban circuses with animals on the territory of his municipality.
Last November, the presence of a traveling circus presenting wild animals at La Valentine had already revived tensions on this subject in Marseille.
In its press release published this Wednesday, the town hall of Marseille notes however the desire of certain circuses to now appear without animals. The 100% human eco-circus set up shop last January on the Prado beaches. In their new show, animals have been replaced by holograms.