How safe or unsafe is the Gare district? People certainly have different opinions on that question. Three young men from a youth party, which calls itself "future-oriented", sketched their own picture of the district on camera - in a way that raises real questions, writes Monica Camposeo.
Recently three young men went for a walk through the Gare district. Two of them were walking ahead, with one filming them from behind. The video, which was shared by the youth party on social networks, was meant to "sketch a picture of the safety situation".
The fast-paced walk is accompanied by dramatic, saddening music. The group walks past homeless people sheltering from the cold on the street, and clearly turn their camera on them.
They don't stand still or even take a look at the individuals. And while their faces are pixelated, it is very clear they are not well. Soon after, the camera turns on a person in a sleeping bag. Asked whether the men are filming, they respond with "no", as can be seen on tape.
The trio concludes that "the situation can become really dangerous". I watched the video several times but cannot see which "dangerous" situations they are describing.
If you turn your camera on people who are clearly vulnerable and not doing well, there's no wonder why you'll be questioned or accosted.
Dangerous, on the other hand, I find the attitude of young men who want to shape politics by walking past people sleeping on the streets. Politicians who shape their own reality without speaking to the people. But hey, that's not the electorate.
And if you thought the video ended with a superficial walk, the youths end it by remarking that the government should "clean up" the district.
Remember we are talking about people. Should those without a roof above their heads be "cleared" from the sidewalk? Or do the people waiting for the Wanteraktioun shuttle blur the image of a rich Luxembourg?
I don't want to downplay the situation at the Gare in any way. Drugs and crime are a reality. But in this video there is no reflection on the source of the problem, how to help these people or how to ensure more social justice. This is populist fear-politics at its lowest - accompanied by dramatic music.
There is a problem around the Gare and it is primarily poverty and dependency. This problem cannot be "cleaned up". That would also not be "future-oriented", which the youth party claims to be.
The problem does not disappear if those people are somewhere else, where no one sees them. And that problem is not solved by itself if you simply stop going to the station. Closing your eyes is a privilege not everyone can have.
