Protesters in front of the Théâtre de l Odéon. Photo by Marion Bellal.
It’s not the first time that the Théâtre de l’Odéon has been occupied. The iconic Paris monument has a long history of occupation, having housed demonstrators during the student protests of 1968, and later been a protest site for culture workers’ unions in 1996 and in 2016.
After a year of Covid-19, and the shutdown of cultural venues including museums, theaters, and concert halls around France, protesters have once again taken their plight to the theater.
Since March 4, around 50 people have been living and sleeping inside the monument. Outside, the stairs and the square have become an agora, and the building’s neoclassical facade is now hidden beneath banners reading “Sacrificed culture,” “Six in ten unemployed workers haven’t received compensation,” and “Disqualified government.”