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Graya la castellane freestyle prod by nene
For the city in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, see Castellane.
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La Castellane is a neighbourhood in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, France. Built as a Modernist council estates in the 1960s for refugees from the Algerian War of 1954-1962, it is now home to about 7,000 residents, many of whom are second-generation French citizens. The neighbourhood is plagued by unemployment, drug trafficking, prostitution and arms smuggling.
Location
La Castellane is located in the Verduron district in the northwestern edge of Marseille, the second largest city in France after its capital Paris. It is just off the A55 autoroute.
History
The neighbourhood was built on the grounds of the ancient marquisate of Foresta. The idea of building tall, modern buildings was first broached in 1955. They were designed by architect Pierre Meillassoux, who was inspired by master architect Xavier Arsène-Henry and, to a certain extent, Oscar Niemeyer. They were completed in the 1960s.
The neighbourhood first served as a council estate for refugees from the Algerian War of 1954-1962, as a result of France's loss of French Algeria during the presidency of General Charles de Gaulle. Shortly after, immigrants from Morocco moved to La Castellane, followed by others from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbeans. It is now home to about 7,000 residents, many of whom are second-generation French citizens. For example, it is the hometown of football player Zinedine Zidane, whose parents were born in Algeria. Lamine Gassama, another football player who grew up in La Castellane, was born to parents from Senegal. As of 2015, the buildings are said to be run-down.
The neighbourhood is plagued by unemployment, drug trafficking, prostitution and arms smuggling. There are three drug-trafficking networks: "place du Mérou", "Tour K", and "La Jougardelle". French newspapers have suggested the neighbourhood is known as a "supermarket" for illegal drugs.
In June 2013, French police took down a drug-trafficking syndicate, including 1.3 million euros in cash split between several smugglers, weapons and drugs. In December 2014, a state school was burnt down in La Castellane. A month later, in January 2015, a young man was gunned down, as was another young man in 2011.
On 9 February 2015, shortly after gunfire was shot at a police car, during the 2015 Marseille shooting the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group seized seven Kalashnikov rifles, two .357 Magnum revolvers and around 20 kilograms of drugs. However, the gunmen were not aiming at the police; instead, it was the result of a turf war between two gangs, selling primarily cannabis and cocaine. Drug-traffickers as a whole in La Castellane are reported to make between 50,000 and 60,000 euros a day as of 2015. Shortly after the February incident, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who was visiting Marseille, called it an example of "apartheid", whereby French citizens who live in such neighbourhoods feel excluded from society.
On June 15, 2015, French police arrested 33 suspected drug traffickers, including Socialist Senator Samia Ghali's chauffeur, as well as weapons and several kilograms of cannabis. Bernard Cazeneuve, the French Interior Minister, suggested drug-trafficking was used to fund terrorism on French soil, and reiterated his commitment to restore order.
In April 2016, some buildings were scheduled to be demolished in an effort to put an end to drug-trafficking.