Police have used batons and tear gas to clear a theater that hundreds of illegal migrants had been occupying for months after being invited in and then refusing to leave. Paris police emptied the building of the illegal squatters on March 18 after months of occupation, meeting stiff resistance from both the migrants and their activist supporters.
Located in the center of Paris, France, around 450 young migrants decided to make the Gaîté Lyrique theater their home after being invited into the building in mid-December. When police arrived at the venue, activists attempted to form a human chain to prevent them from entering but were pushed back by officers who used tear gas.
The entire ordeal began after around 250 migrants were invited to take part in a pro-migrant conference involving academics and far-left activists. However, the number of migrants soon increased to over 450, with those who run the theater noting just weeks into the occupation that it could lead to the entire venue going bankrupt.
The theater management said that while the occupation was ongoing, no revenue could be made from performances, and the migrants had potentially cost the theater hundreds of thousands of euros in lost revenue. Local businesses also complained of losing money due to the migrants.
Tensions entre forces de l’ordre et soutiens lors de l’évacuation de la Gaîté Lyrique à Paris. pic.twitter.com/8aKnCgROjF
— CLPRESS / Agence de presse (@CLPRESSFR) March 18, 2025