French mayor faces racist barrage, calls for urgent action
Saint-Denis, France – A wave of racist abuse directed at newly elected Mayor Bally Bagayoko has ignited a national debate on the rise of far-right extremism in France, prompting him to demand immediate action before next year’s presidential election. The attacks, ranging from online hate speech to degrading remarks broadcast on national television, have exposed a raw nerve in French society and galvanized supporters to rally in his defense.
A televised insult and a town under siege
The controversy erupted following Bagayoko’s strong first-round election victory last month. During a debate on CNews, a television channel owned by Vincent Bolloré, guests reportedly made comparisons to apes and tribal chiefs, a blatant display of racism that has drawn widespread condemnation. The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the televised comments, alongside a separate police inquiry into the deluge of online hate messages targeting Bagayoko.
Beyond the broadcast outrage, the town hall itself has become a target. Switchboard staff have endured racist phone calls, and a growing file of racist letters, including one sent to multiple Black elected officials across France comparing them to escaped zoo animals, is being compiled for police review. The sheer volume and virulence of the attacks paint a disturbing picture of escalating racial tensions.
Beyond condemnation: a call for action
Bagayoko, born in France to Malian parents, shattered a “glass ceiling” as the first mayor from a family with a history of immigration from Africa in Saint-Denis. He views the backlash not as a surprise, but as a direct consequence of failing to address underlying economic inequalities. “The far right – and racist ideology – lodges itself where there are austerity Politics,” he stated, highlighting a core argument that economic hardship fuels division and resentment, creating fertile ground for extremist ideologies.
Saturday’s planned anti-racism rally, expected to draw thousands, is not simply a show of solidarity, but a call to action. “It’s not just about deploring what happened, it’s about engaging in action to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Bagayoko emphasized. The demonstration aims to unite citizens against racism, antisemitism, and all forms of discrimination, a message echoed by local religious leaders who have offered their support.
The shadow of the presidential election
The timing of this crisis is particularly significant, occurring as France braces for the 2027 presidential election. The far-right National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, is currently polling high, raising concerns about the potential normalization of extremist views. Bagayoko argues that successive governments under Emmanuel Macron have failed to tackle the root causes of division, inadvertently allowing the far-right to gain traction.
Saint-Denis, a diverse and deindustrialized town bordering Paris and hosting a significant portion of the Paris 2024 Olympics, embodies this struggle. It sits within Seine-Saint-Denis, one of France’s poorest departments, facing issues of gentrification and unequal access to resources. Bagayoko’s commitment to addressing these disparities – from investing in education and housing to considering limitations on police weaponry – represents a direct challenge to the status quo.
Bagayoko, a former senior manager at the Paris region transport company, RATP, concluded, “The French motto of liberty, equality, fraternity is a precious ideal that must be preserved… But how many people in France are victims of racist insults and are unfortunately kept silent? Far too many.”