February, 2016
Paris, France

Štefan Simončič, President of the Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., participated in the initiative to set up a refugee camp in front of the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

“I wanna be loved by you, Pom´ Pompidou” was the slogan of the initiators of the refugee camp in front of the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

The initiators, including refugees and Parisians, demanded a fair settlement of the housing problem, a fair allocation of legal documents and access to education for refugees in Paris.

Parisians are appalled by the authorities’ treatment of refugees. The authorities are obstructing the setting up of a refugee camp in Paris; they have even thrown away much-needed tents, beds and sleeping bags. Refugees who had nowhere to go were repeatedly chased through the streets with kicks and tear gas.

Solidarity Parisians were reminded of:

  • The Social Security Act, which states that “every homeless person who finds himself in a medical, psychological or social emergency has the right to emergency shelter”.
  • Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “All human beings are born free and are entitled to the same dignity and equal rights”; and
  • the Geneva Convention.

Refugees and Parisians gathered in front of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, a symbol of French culture, in anticipation of support for the refugee camp.