OMM Newsroom
Hundreds of people rallied against racism and the far right in Paris on Monday, October 26, after a deadly shooting last week that officials described as “terrorist and racist,” AnewZ reported.
On Friday, a gunman killed one person and wounded five others, including a 12-year-old girl, in the Paris suburb of Trappes.
Authorities arrested a 39-year-old suspect, identified by officials as Kevin T. France’s National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) opened a formal investigation into the shooting.
French media reported that the victim was 26-year-old athlete Pengo Bossio Wangi.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor, Olivier Christen, told reporters on Monday that the suspect denied a racial motive for the attack.
Concerns over racism grow
Speakers at a gathering in Trappes accused far-right politicians and some media outlets of helping to foster a more racist climate. The event took place amid protests accompanied by violence and unrest across the country.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said memorial services were being held in towns and cities across France for the victims. He highlighted the importance of the 2027 presidential election. Rabeh said far-right candidate Marine Le Pen was leading in opinion polls and described the vote as decisive for France’s future.
“Beyond those gathered in this square, each of us has a duty to mobilize, to understand the seriousness of the situation, the threat drawing near and the danger facing the French Republic,” Rabeh said.
Residents voice frustration over justice and unrest
Debora, a 25-year-old Paris resident, expressed frustration over the deadly attack and the wider unrest sweeping France.
“The French are angry, and I am angry too, because justice is not being delivered properly; nothing is being done right,” she said.
