Thousands of people took to the streets in Trappes, a town in France's Yvelines department, to protest racism one week after a deadly terror attack shook the community. Demonstrators gathered at Merisiers Square to pay tribute to Pengo Bossio Wangi, a young French man of Congolese origin killed in the attack, and to express solidarity with the seven people injured.
Protesters carried banners reading "Stop Racism", "Justice for Pengo" and "Racism Kills". A minute of silence was observed in Wangi's memory, followed by the singing of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh stated on social media that approximately 15,000 people attended the rally.
In his speech, Mayor Rabeh described Wangi as "a son, a brother, a friend" who "did not deserve the bullets and hatred of his killer". He stressed that the suspect had not chosen his victims at random, noting that the attacker "openly stated he was targeting Arabs, Black people and Muslims". Rabeh argued that the suspect's hatred had been fuelled by rhetoric that has long singled out minorities, and accused the National Rally (RN) party of spreading hate for decades.
Several presidential candidates attended the rally, including Jean-Luc Melenchon, Marine Tondelier and Raphael Glucksmann. Rabeh also took aim at RN presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and her family, stating: "The Le Pen clan once openly targeted Jews; today they point the finger at Muslims, immigrants and their descendants."
The attack occurred on 23 October in Trappes and the neighbouring town of La Verriere, when suspect Kevin Tessier, 39, opened fire from his vehicle at passersby. One person was killed and seven were wounded. Tessier was detained at the scene on the same day and formally arrested on 29 October.
