Trappes rally, USA News (Trappes, France): As daylight faded on Friday, October 30, activity intensified in Trappes in the Yvelines department. Entry points to the Place des Merisiers required going through security checks as police officers monitored the locked-down neighborhood, located in the central area of a town divided by the N10 highway. Groups of attendees arrived on foot to pay tribute to the victims of a racist attack that occurred one week earlier. That assault resulted in the death of Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old Black Frenchman, and left seven people injured, including an 11-year-old girl who was seriously wounded in the neighboring town of La Verrière.
Initiated by Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh, the gathering was organized to protest against racism, islamophobia, and all forms of hatred. The assailant had admitted to targeting Muslim, African, and North African individuals and selecting Trappes because he viewed it as a stronghold for extremists.
Elected officials from neighboring towns and departments, including Mantes-la-Ville, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Paris, attended the demonstration wearing tricolor sashes. Left-wing political figures, such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Raphaël Glucksmann, Marine Tondelier, and Ségolène Royal, prepared to speak from a stage set up near the local police station.
French flags waved throughout the growing crowd, with many participants holding signs bearing slogans such as "Racism hurts, racism kills," and "We are not targets, our lives matter." According to organizers, approximately 12,000 people attended the gathering. Speakers included local deputy mayor Aminata Diallo and community activist Aïssetou Diawara, who addressed structural racism and solidarity within the community.
A moment of silence was observed for the victims. During speeches, Mayor Ali Rabeh criticized political figures from the far-right, prompting boos from the crowd, while participants later sang the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, and chanted calls for justice.
