A mobilization has emerged against the planned closure of the Gibert Barbès store in Paris, with a petition exceeding 2,000 signatures opposing the decision. The petition, initiated by Valérie Van den Bos, a children's bookseller and CGT elected member of the CSE of Gibert Joseph Paris, defends the 22 employees of the establishment, its customers, and the maintenance of a local cultural offering. The Gibert group, placed in judicial recovery in April, plans 84 job cuts across the company. The closure of the Barbès store, one of its specific Parisian addresses identified for second-hand books, contradicts the group's 2030 plan, which aims to put second-hand books "at the heart of the model." The 15-17 boulevard Barbès location was chosen in 2013 to succeed Virgin in the 2,000 m² premises, with the city of the 18th arrondissement aiming to maintain cultural activity in the neighborhood. However, the current situation has led to employee demands to preserve the store's presence. The petition emphasizes three points: jobs, access to a stationery and second-hand books offering, and the maintenance of a cultural venue at Barbès. While the store has 22 employees, 21 positions were reported to be at risk, and a reallocation process to the Paris 6 stores was underway. The number of planned layoffs in Paris has slightly decreased. Organizers of the mobilization cite material reasons for the deterioration of the situation, including an out-of-service air conditioning system for several years, numerous water damages, and a dispute over work with Paris Habitat. The petition also mentions a rent considered too high for the site's activity. These elements are part of their presentation of the case, though the exact distribution of responsibilities between the different parties has not been established independently in their entirety. Regarding supplies, the observation is corroborated. Le Monde noted on August 14 largely empty shelves in several Gibert stores and linked these difficulties to the outsourcing of logistics after the sale of the Vitry-sur-Seine warehouse, the operations having been entrusted to ID Logistics at Plessis-Pâté. The problem is not limited to Barbès. The mobilization occurs as the group undergoes a much broader restructuring. In Paris, Barbès, the Printemps Nation corner, and the bookstore at quai Saint-Michel are among the sales points whose closure has now been confirmed by management. Two days of strikes have already taken place, on August 26 and 29. During the first, three Parisian stores could not open. At Barbès, the organizers of the petition indicate that the curtain was also down on August 29. A support fund for the employees of Barbès and Saint-Michel has since been opened. The case has reached City Hall. In an interview with ActuaLitté, Nicolas Bonnet Oulaldj, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of employment and integration, judged the disappearance of the store damaging for a neighborhood where cultural offerings constitute a particular challenge. He indicated that he had contacted Paris Commerces regarding accessibility and maintenance work. The communist elected officials of the 18th must renew a wish in favor of maintaining the establishment. Employees mention a closure that could occur in early October, though no deadline has been communicated to them. The closure is confirmed, but the exact date when Barbès loses its bookstore is still not determined.