Presidential 2022. Toulouse: why Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s last big meeting will be at the Capitol
By Guillaume Laurent
Published on
Change of program. If the last big campaign meeting of Jean-Luc Melenchon before the first round of the Presidential will be held well in Toulouseon Sunday April 3, 2022, the staff of the leader of France Insoumise finally had to resolve to throw his evolution on the Capitol Square, which he had initially considered “too small” in the face of the expected crowds. After obtaining the green light from the local authorities, the Popular Union announced it to its activists on Tuesday in a Telegram loop, and the national campaign management must make it official this Wednesday evening.
The meeting will take place on Sunday, April 3
As for the date, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s team had asked the town hall several weeks ago for an authorization to occupy the public domain for the last weekend before the first tour. If the staff had a preference for Sunday, he did not rule out holding a meeting on Saturday, “to have the right place”, had blown the Toulousain Manuel Bompard, campaign manager son. So it will finally be well and truly Sunday, April 3, at 2:00 p.m.
The stadiums, the Filter meadow and the remote ramblas
Pour this highligths of candidate Mélenchon’s campaign, several hypotheses were on the table. The Stadium had been quickly discarded, because of the matches to be held there at that time: after the Toulouse – Paris FC poster in Ligue 2 on April 2, it was necessary to preserve the lawn before Toulouse – Ulster in 8and of the European Rugby Cup final on the 9th. The staff then turned to the Ernest-Wallon stadium. In vain, there too.
In the end, as in the last two editions, it is a meeting on the public highway downtown, which has been decided. Several places have been selected: the Prairie des Filtres as in 2017, but a solidarity race against breast cancer is organized there that day. Another event is planned on the Jules Guesde alleys… Remained the ramblas Jean-Jaurès where, for the symbolism, many activists would have viewed Jean-Luc Mélenchon favorably on an artery bearing the name of the iconic figure of the left…
A gauge limited to 1,000 people on the Ramblas…
But against all odds there is a real “gauge problem” at the ramblas, where security issues got the better of any inclination, as explained Helen MagdoLFI municipal councilor in Toulouse and member of the organization’s national team: “Because of the little emergency exit on the pedestrian part located in the center of the Jean-Jaurès alleys”, the civil security informed the staff that it was only possible to accommodate 500 people at the top, and as many at the bottom of the ramblas. That is “1,000 people along the entire pedestrian corridor. The Toulouse elected official does not hide her disappointment, especially since these new ramblas were “supposed to be a popular place, it’s a shame”.
The organizers could have positioned people on the alleys themselves, on either side of the ramblas, but that would have required cut off traffic a good part of the day… And that wouldn’t have solved anything the image of absolute emptiness to see 1,000 people on these ramblas 17 meters wide… and 600 long! While they could gather several tens of thousands elsewhere.
Le Capitole, a safe bet
On arrival, the Capitol had inescapable assets, and the staff of Jean-Luc Mélenchon therefore preferred to favor “the symbol”. Especially since the square is known nationally, and the site is well served by public transport, which will allow “all Toulouse residents to easily access it”.
A meeting “as massive as possible”
At the beginning of January, Manuel Bompard had announced the color: “The objective is to have the most spectacular initiative possible”. This outdoor meeting must be “as massive as possible” for the candidate’s right arm. The staff wants to make it a “show of force”, like the last two editions, in 2012 already at the Capitole, or in 2017 at the Prairie des Filtres. But if he hoped to set the bar as high as five years ago, when Jean-Luc Mélenchon brought together – according to the organizers – 70,000 people, it will be technically impossible to do the same at the Capitol in 2022.
30,000 to 40,000 people expected
“The square itself can contain between 15,000 and 20,000 people”, observes Hélène Magdo, but the public will be able to gather in the surrounding streets, where “several giant screens” will be installed, in particular in the rue d’Alsace-Lorraine, or even at the level of the square de Gaulle, excluding green spaces. Rue du Poids de l’Huile cannot be used, as it is an emergency exit. In the end, “the idea is to be able to accommodate 30,000 to 40,000 people” in and around the Capitol.
A few figures or so equivalent to that reported in 2012. Remember that ten years ago, the security services had been put to the test, especially when the police had to disperse the crowd prematurely at the end of the meeting, due to a bomb threat…
Probably broadcast live on news channels, this last lap of the boss of the Insoumis before the first round should allow him to make an impression. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is on the rise in the polls and sees the doors of the second round half open, intends to provide the images ofa compact and dense crowd in the fourth city of France, where he arrived in 2017 (29.16% of the vote), ahead of Emmanuel Macron.
François Ruffin is in Toulouse… and finds himself face to face with Jean-Luc Moudenc
Support of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, François Ruffin is also in Toulouse this Wednesday. The deputy of the Somme, related LFI, must in particular hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Osète room. In the morning, when he had come to meet residents of the Reynerie district to discuss the problems of urban renewal, he found himself face to face… with the mayor (LR) of Toulouse, who was carrying out his traditional “day district” on the spot. According to our information, the fortuitous exchange between the two men was not the most jovial.
After making a trip to Mirail University at midday, François Ruffin had planned to play football with AS Toulouse Mirail football club in the afternoon. The opportunity to discuss the difficulties of amateur clubs.
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