There's a delightful French brawl going on in the leafy Parisian district of Montmartre, once famous for its bohemian artists but lately increasingly gentrified and commercialized by mass tourism. It involves angry protests, accusations of harassment, a bitter feud between former friends, a luxury hotel - and pétanque.
The 52-year-old pétanque club, Club Lepic Abbesses Pétanque (Clap) has been given a court order to vacate its picturesque home in one of the most attractive and luxurious areas of Montmartre, close to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. After a years-long battle with the city of Paris, members have now resorted to setting up tents on the property, keeping a 24-hour vigil to prevent the area from being cleared. Every day they stay, they receive an additional fine of €500.
The land, which contains eight pétanque courts and a café kiosk, was originally owned by Félix Ziem, a Barbizon School artist, whose daughter sold it to the Parisian authorities. In the 19th century this area was known as the Maquis de Montmartre, an unofficial group of wooden huts where poor Parisians lived. But when Montmartre became a trendy venue for counterculture and cabaret during the Belle Époque, many of the slum's residents were moved. In the early 20th century, Avenue Junot was built, lined with imposing buildings that today contain some of the most expensive and sought-after apartments in Paris. Just behind them, out of sight of tourists and even many locals, Clap's metal boules have been clacking away since the 1970s.
"This club was founded 52 years ago, but [...] we haven't been here illegally in 52 years, despite what people say. We can prove that," said Luc Magnin, member of Clap, on Tuesday morning. Indeed, the town hall of the 18th arrondissement, where Montmartre is located, confirms that the club was founded with the permission of the local government.
Clap's residency almost came to an end in the 1980s after plans were unveiled to build an underground car park on the site, but this was eventually blocked after years of protest. In 1991, the area was surveyed and classified as protected, and in 2022 City Hall called for proposals to officially lease the land.
Jean-Philippe Daviaud, a Paris councilor in charge of trade, craftsmen and Europe for the 18th arrondissement, said: "At a time when this area was very working class, this land was made available to a local pétanque club. A lot has changed since then, but [the arrangement] stayed that way - in a very informal way. Today, such situations no longer exist. The city has no right to give [away] a piece of public land [without] a contract, and payments from the relevant organization in exchange for occupying the space."
Clap representatives claim it has made efforts to enter into an official contract and start paying rent, but claim they have been rejected or not properly looked into. It added that it had just two months to prepare a proposal, which had to meet strict criteria to open the land to the public, be environmentally beneficial and economically viable.
The contract was ultimately won by Oscar Comtet, director of Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, a neighboring five-star hotel. He plans to open the space to the public, replace the food kiosk with a pond and replace some of the bocce courts with a garden (although six will be retained, including two suitable for competitive play). The planned garden, which already has a website and Instagram page, will be called Jardin Junot and feature a petting zoo, beehives, cultural events and family-friendly activities.
But there is a novel-worthy twist. Comtet is a local - and a member of Clap since he was 12. "We have seen Oscar grow up," says Clap spokesperson Maxime Liogier. "We taught him to play bocce, and he was good. He had talent."
A tired-sounding Comtet replies: "I, I have nothing to say, except that I'm sorry they don't like it. I am fighting for this country to be reopened to the public, but unfortunately it has been made private [by Clap]. It's a piece of public land, the town hall doesn't have access to its own land, so I don't know what to say. It's really a shame."
The Clap protesters accuse the project of 'greenwashing' and believe the plans are just a pretext to expand the hotel, an accusation roundly denied by Comtet and the city council. The club describes it as a battle between David and Goliath: 300 ordinary people against a luxury hotel that can afford to invest hundreds of thousands in the country, and advertises its project with a lively social media presence.
The hotel director says the proposed garden is "absolutely not linked to the hotel. It is funded by the hotel but is open to the public." He emphasizes that "it is not a project for tourists, but a project for the residents of Montmartre."
Furthermore, Daviaud of the 18th arrondissement claims that the sports club was ultimately unwilling to give up the elements of the club that make it incompatible with Paris in the 21st century: namely hosting a private club on public land, and serving and consuming alcohol and other refreshments in the kiosk without the necessary permits.
Both Comtet and the town hall also say that the hotel director, his family and his staff have been threatened and harassed by protesters, which has reportedly led to the dismissal of a number of people who work there.
Beyond the mudslinging and legal wrangling, Clap's campaign appears to be giving voice to a more general feeling in Paris: the fear that the city's quirky charm is being stolen away and sold off. Earlier this year, graffiti was spotted on the sleepy square in the Latin Quarter that hosted Netflix series Emily in Paris is filmed with the text "Emily not welcome" - a response to some locals feeling overrun by tourists.
This dispute also comes against the backdrop of the approaching Olympic Games, the subject of criticism from some Parisians who feel the event plans prioritize the country's perception internationally over the needs and concerns of locals.
Montmartre is currently applying for UNESCO World Heritage status. Liogier complained: 'They talk about putting Montmartre on the UNESCO list, but what? The tourist buses? We are one of the last corners of neighborhood life in Montmartre.
"It is the death of... the soul of Montmartre, where Montmartrois can still meet, exchange, play cards and pétanque. Montmartre became known all over the world because it was a real place, a place for the working class."
He added: "We are not criminals. Far from it - but what happened is against the moral order, that is why we are revolting: we cannot accept the absurd." When I suggested that the saga is a microcosm of every French stereotype - pétanque, rebellion, luxury hospitality - he couldn't help but smile: "It's French stuff, I know, I know, I know!"
