French riot police forcibly evacuated the Gaîté Lyrique cultural venue on Tuesday morning, which had been illegally occupied by hundreds of migrant squatters for over three months with the backing of far-left local lawmakers.
The operation, carried out amidst protests and clashes with demonstrators, resulted in the arrest of 46 individuals, mostly migrants, and several minor injuries.
The eviction process began at approximately 6 a.m., as demonstrators — who heeded the call by the far-left La France Insoumise to protest at the venue — attempted to block police entry. Riot police had to deploy tear gas to clear the area.
According to reports, many migrants had already left during the night, fearing forced removal and detention without a viable housing alternative.
Footage on social media showed around 200 demonstrators gathered outside the venue to show solidarity with the displaced migrants. Protesters were eventually pushed back by the authorities, leading to scuffles and the use of batons and more tear gas. Some demonstrators threw belongings at the police, while others stood in the middle of the boulevard, disrupting traffic once more.
Clashes break out as police raid the Gaîté Lyrique theater in Paris to evict over 400 migrants who occupied the building for months.
The theater invited the migrants for one day, and they ended up occupying and shutting it down for months.pic.twitter.com/sLNxMA5vj2
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 18, 2025Authorities offered temporary housing solutions in Rouen — around 130 kilometers northwest of the French capital — but many migrants refused, citing concerns over the distance and disruptions to their asylum or schooling processes in Paris. Reports suggest that those who declined relocation faced immediate police checks or arrests.
The Paris police prefect, Laurent Nuñez, confirmed on BFMTV that six migrants, a journalist, and a police officer sustained minor injuries during the operation. He stated that the 46 arrested individuals were being processed for administrative detention, with the possibility of deportation depending on their immigration status. He also defended the evacuation as necessary for security reasons, citing the deteriorating conditions inside the occupied theater.
Left-wing MP Danielle Simonnet condemned the operation as “extremely violent,” and claimed the eviction notice issued by the police was “scandalous,” saying “it gives in to the racist demands of the far right.”
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, however, supported the evacuation, calling the occupation an unsafe situation for both the migrants and the venue itself.
The Gaîté Lyrique suffered significant damage during the occupation, with graffiti covering walls and broken facilities reported inside.
As Remix News reported at the time, the historic La Gaîté Lyrique, which prides itself on its progressive agenda, has faced financial ruin after migrants refused to leave a conference promoting open borders on Dec. 10 last year.
The theater management admitted the venue had suffered “heavy operating losses” as a result and had struggled to pay its 60 employees.
The occupation also had a knock-on effect on the surrounding community. Elia, the manager of a nearby bistro, told The Times in January she had lost around €30,000 in revenue, blaming the occupation for scaring away customers.
“They are ruining my business. They hang around outside my terrace, smoking joints and fighting among themselves. Not only do we no longer get theatregoers because the theatre is shut but we don’t get passers-by either. They’re being frightened away by all these young men.”
