Marseille: they throw themselves into the water to change the MuCEM basin into a swimming pool
Braving the pouring rain and a 16° Mediterranean, a dozen swimmers took a dip this Saturday in the MuCEM basin, at the entrance to the Old Port of Marseille, where swimming is theoretically prohibited. These members of the “Libres nageurs” collective have been demanding for eighteen months the creation of a seawater swimming pool in this dock in the heart of a city center which is sorely lacking in beaches and basins.
“It was done in the ports of Copenhagen, Oslo and Quebec, and everywhere there was a resounding success”, indicates Benjamin Clasen, who has just launched with other members the CNM, a Circle of swimmers of the MuCEM, of an eye to the famous Cercle des nageurs de Marseille. “The project is progressing, we have an appointment next week with the town hall to talk about it”.
“This would fill a glaring lack of equipment”
“This swimming pool, we are waiting for it”, confirms while drying off Maeva, double bassist at the Opera who swims at sea every Monday. “This would make up for a glaring lack of equipment for practicing swimming”. “There is a hypocrisy because people from Marseille bathe here every summer despite the ban, resumes in jersey Doctor Alain Ferrero, doctor in public health. There is a real problem of access to sports and health in Marseille that this swimming pool could help to solve”.
If the quay belongs to the town hall, the body of water is managed by the metropolis. Initially hostile, the basin being considered a marina, the latter now declares itself “not opposed to the project”. Provided that work is carried out to avoid bathing water pollution and that the city signs a “management agreement for consideration” with it.