In contrast to highly macropolitical ‘post-conflict’ studies, this article approaches post-war Côte d’Ivoire from a micro-local perspective, focusing on the neighbourhood of Gobelet, a slum of Abidjan, which was taken over by a group of ‘Jeunes Patriotes sans abri’ (Homeless Young Patriots). The article shows how these young people were able to leverage patriotism to negotiate their precarious social status. It examines local conflicts and compromises produced by this process of empowerment. Such deals indicate that the social revolution in Gobelet turned into a passive revolution after the war. In conclusion, the article suggests that it is less the regime change and more the class conflict associated with the ‘Émergence’ economic reforms that ultimately quashed this political-generational experiment in the Gobelet slum.