Residents of the Gare neighborhood held a safety march

On Sunday evening, 22 residents of Luxembourg's Gare district marched through the streets of the neighbourhood accompanied by police - without slogans or banners, but with a clear message: the security situation is out of control. The march was organised through the WhatsApp group "Quartier Gare, sécurité, propreté" and covered Rue de Strasbourg, Rue de la Fonderie and Hollerich, areas that participants described as hotbeds of street drug trafficking.

The organiser of the march, David, has lived in the area for about a year and notes that the situation has only worsened in that time. He is concerned not only about drug dealers, but also about unsanitary conditions and, as he puts it, "the lack of police response".

Residents complain of constant noise, inability to sleep well, decreased housing values and loss of a basic sense of security. One participant said that she cleans up faeces and used syringes at the entrance to her home at 6am every day. Another participant added:

Many participants expressed support for legislative strengthening of police powers, including the Platzverweis project, which would allow for the removal of troublemakers from public places. One activist, Patrick, emphasised: "We don't need this now - we needed it yesterday. If anyone is against this law, let them tell us in person".

He also reminded that it is not only about the rights of violators, but also about the rights of the residents themselves to live peacefully in their neighbourhood.

The Luxembourg government previously announced the Drogendësch 2.0 strategy and promised to "return the Gare neighbourhood to its inhabitants". But local residents feel that real change is yet to be seen. The police themselves have acknowledged that they "share the frustration" but are acting within the limits of available resources and current legislation.