Grand Rue, Luxembourg City, 2pm on 29 March. The street is filled with people returning from lunch or flocking to the shops of the capital. A man aged 30 to 40 years is sitting outside of a store for luxury watches and begging for money. He is wearing a thick coat and has a paper cup from a fast food restaurant placed in front of him. For about half an hour, no one is leaving him any money, nor is anyone talking to him.
Direction Place d’Armes, a little later. A young couple with two dogs is sitting across from a pharmacy. They speak Luxembourgish and also have a similar paper cup placed in front of them.
Read also: Luxembourg City council bans day-time begging in the capital
One of the pharmacy clerks commented: “We know them, they are sitting here regularly. Sometimes there are others. They alternate, this is a good spot, so first come first serve.” The clerk continued that few of the beggars stand out: “We don’t feel disturbed by them and none of our customers has ever complained. They come in the morning, sit there for hours, and then leave again in the evening. Nothing more, nothing less.”
At Place d’Armes, another beggar is sitting across from a restaurant. It is difficult to assess the man’s age as he is sitting on his knees, wearing a hood over his head, and holding a cup out in front of him as if he were praying. The man is almost motionless for about an hour and only mutters “thank you” when someone places money into his cup.
A server from a nearby restaurant said: “He sits there relatively often and usually very long. He is very friendly. Sometimes I offer him a few cigarettes or something to drink. Recently, a group of youths even gave him an entire pizza. He regularly receives donations in the form of food.”
Another two beggars, an elderly couple, are sitting outside of a store at Place Hamilius. They look at passers-by in a friendly manner and say hello. They thank anyone who places money into their cup and nod.
1am on Saturday. People are out and about and the capital seems filled. In Clausen, a young person walks around and asks people for money in Luxembourgish. He expresses gratitude, even if some only offer him cigarettes instead of coins.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday, a group of young men in their late 20s are frequenting the Luxembourg City centre. They are asking people for food and money to afford a place for the night. Even if they are refused, they remain friendly and continue walking about.
These were some of the impressions shared by a colleague from RTL. Note that this piece focuses on the city centre only.
