150 People Attend Debate Organized by the CPES in Toulouse
The Housing Struggle in Toulouse, France, led by the Popular Committee for Mutual Aid and Solidarity (CPES) gathers many masses and support from the people of the city especially from the popular neighborhood of Mirail. As we reported, the CPES together with other organizations called for a debate on occasion of the upcoming municipal elections on March 15 and 22, 2026, inviting all candidates:
The debate took place in the heart of Reynerie, an emblematic neighborhood of Mirail in Toulouse, that nearly 150 people gathered to first attend an exhibition retracing the development of the Mirail district and the struggles throughout its history, followed by the debate, La Cause du Peuple (LCDP) reports.
Several candidates from different bourgeois Parties attended the debate and were questioned by the attendees, who clearly asked: “Will you stop the demolitions in Mirail, Côte Pavée, Papus, Tabar and in all the districts of Toulouse where demolition projects remain?”, among other questions.There were numerous contributions from the residents of Toulouse, which denounced the electoral farce and promises made by the bourgeois politicians, their disregard for the inhabitants of the popular neighborhoods and they even denounced those who “play the ‘I’m on the left’ card, etc., in certain bodies, but have no problem running the metropolitan area and having a partnership agreement with the right wing”.
The general secretary of the Mirail CGT Local Union, a chemical industry worker, pointed out: “There is a real dividing line: Does the mobilization support the politicians or do the politicians support the mobilization? Is it one thing or the other way around? Most importantly, the reality, is that it is the mobilization of the residents, that’s what counts, that’s the real balance of power!”. LCDP reports that this is a clear prove of the victories of Mirail CPES over the past two years.
There were also delegations from CPES, from neighborhoods of Cleunay, Rennes, who highlighted in their speeches that these same anti-people measures and “renewal” policies in popular neighborhoods are being carried out by the “left-wing” mayor in Rennes and the right-wing mayor in Toulouse.
A member of the CPES of Mirail, worker and resident of the neighborhood firmly stated: “We are not running an election campaign, we’re not trying to win votes, our campaign is the daily struggle!”. At the end of the debate a march was carried out outside of the Messager building, whose demolition work has just begun. More than half of the candidates that attended the debate, did not join the mobilization.
