They won’t let go of anything, they won’t back down. After being forcibly expelled from their historic petanque court in Montmartre last October, the bowlers of Clap are still protesting by ramping up their actions. This Sunday, November 3rd, they all gathered in the neighborhood, specifically on the pedestrian street of Orsel, for a petanque session and a stand for resistance right in the middle of the street.
A complaint filed against the Particulier Hotel
Engaged for years in a battle against the City of Paris and a neighboring hotel, the Club Lepic Abbesses Pétanque (Clap), a historic petanque association in the Montmartre area, was expelled from its court located on the hill, on the morning of October 21st, by a horde of CRS. The intervention came almost six months after a decision by the Council of State mandated the club to vacate the premises.
And for good reason: in July 2023, the City ... has handed over the management of the space to the adjacent hotel, the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, for at least twelve years. What’s the promise of the hotel? To green up the area, open it to the public, offer sports classes…and even maintain a few pétanque courts. According to Le Parisien, shortly after being evicted, Clap filed a complaint against the hotel for demolition work “without authorization” and “failure to respect natural spaces.”
Pour une certaine idée de notre village #Montmartre et de #Paris, pour une ville habitable et conviviale, je soutiens le CLAP !
— PierreYves Bournazel (@pybournazel) November 3, 2024
Contre l’uniformisation et la standardisation de notre capitale, agissons !
Cet après-midi, rue d’Orsel, on jouait à la #pétanque ! #Paris18 pic.twitter.com/WtYtE9SFEs
The Soul of Clap in the Streets of Montmartre
And they won't stop at just seeking justice. The Clap is truly determined to keep up the gentle actions in the Montmartre neighborhood to ensure the life of their historic club continues. They gathered nearly a hundred people this Sunday afternoon, November 3rd, to play pétanque on Rue d'Orsel, where they set up three pétanque courts with red carpets taped right to the ground, swapping their steel pétanque balls for soft balls – designed for play outside of a court, indoors, or in public spaces without the risk of damage or accidents.
« We want to continue our gentle actions to stay present in the 18th, but above all, we want to reclaim our ground», concludes Cl, as reported by Le Parisien.
audine, treasurer of the Clap and a member of the club for over 17 years. So we can expect more lively weekends on the hill that will please all pétanque enthusiasts.