"Not a single good night": residents of the Gare neighbourhood demand action from Luxembourg City Hall
Lia Bekyan, Unsplash
An open letter published this week was an emotional and disturbing call to action: residents and businesses in Luxembourg's Gare neighbourhood are demanding urgent action from the authorities to tackle the growing instability. The appeal is addressed to Mayor Lydie Polfer and members of the municipal council.
The letter's author, Marc Welter, a resident and business owner on Place de Paris since 1989, speaks of deep fatigue and anger at the growing sense of insecurity and constant disruption.
"The neighbourhood I know and love is given over to disorder, crime and fear," the text reads.
During the daytime, the streets are filled with food deliverers occupying public benches, parking spaces and Veloh stations. They drive without rules and leave behind rubbish: packages, cans, bottles. Pedestrians do not feel safe and the appearance of the streets is becoming more and more neglected.
After dark, as the author writes, the square turns into the epicentre of drug trafficking. Dealers, drug addicts, noisy companies, quarrels, shouting, fights, constant incidents - all this has become the "new norm". House entrances are used as toilets, syringes and bottles are lying in the streets. There is not a single quiet night anymore, the letter emphasises.
Despite numerous complaints, nothing changes. Police presence is minimal, and when a patrol appears, the dealers simply disappear - and return as soon as they leave. This generates despair and radical thoughts: the author asks the rhetorical question, should residents now create their own patrols and "militias" to protect their streets?
"This is not emotion, it's a cry for help. We can no longer cope alone," the author emphasises.
The letter ends with a list of specific and urgent requirements:
- Permanent police presence - on foot and around the clock
- Targeted raids to dismantle drug dealing outlets and illegal squats
- A real 'zero tolerance' policy on anti-social behaviour
- Coordination between the city, police, ministries and the judicial system
The author invites officials to spend the night in the neighbourhood of Gare to see for themselves the gravity of the situation. He emphasises that this is not a complaint, but a systemic problem that undermines trust in public authorities.
The publication of the letter on LinkedIn received an active response: dozens of likes and comments. This emphasises that the problem concerns not just one person, but an entire community.
The authorities have not yet made any public comment on the matter. We will continue to follow the development of the situation.
