"I have witnessed the completely disproportionate use of force against young people who simply want to be heard"... Bally Bagayoko, the first black mayor of a major French city (Saint-Denis), has become the icon of the student revolt after being shaken and "gassed" by the police during the demonstration that took place on Tuesday in the east of Paris and culminated in violent clashes with riot police at Place de la Nation.
In a video that went viral on social media, Bagayoko, impeccably dressed, can be seen moving through the crowd and flanked by masked young people. At one point, he can be seen extending his arms and trying to protect the young people from the police charge, shouting "Stop!" before being pushed.
Subsequently, the mayor of Saint-Denis, like many other protesters, suffered the impact of tear gas and had to be assisted with saline solution to relieve the stinging in his eyes. Before leaving the march, the popular councilor from La France Insumisa -investigated by the Paris prefecture for alleged "legitimization" of violence- gave his final show of support to the students.
"To the mobilized youth, I say: your demands are just", he wrote on Wednesday on his X account. "Keep organizing and making your voices heard. But do not give in to any provocation. Stay united and non-violent!".
"I urge the Interior Minister to urgently review the orders (to the police) before a tragedy occurs," the 53-year-old mayor, the son of Malian immigrants and a former semi-professional basketball player, concludes. He has been in the spotlight since he sided with the students at the Paul Eluard Institute in Saint-Denis and even stated that violence can be "legitimate" in some cases.
Eric Ciotti, mayor of Nice and close to Marine Le Pen's National Rally, has called for Bagayoko to be "revoked" as mayor for "betraying" his position and inciting violence. The far-right has directly accused La France Insumisa, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon (who was also at the demonstration), of provoking violence with far-left militants infiltrated in the protests.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Wednesday the suspension of the use of "stun" dispersal grenades against protesters, such as the one that caused a student to lose her left hand during the protests in Lens. The use of these controversial grenades, which emit a deafening noise exceeding 170 decibels, has been strongly criticized by human rights associations, who have also denounced the abusive use of tear gas and rubber bullets (LBD). At least 18 investigations into police excesses have been opened in the past week, including the case of the student who lost her hand, another who lost an eye, and another hospitalized with a fractured jaw.
In light of the serious incidents, which have resulted in over 6,500 arrests and 700 injuries, President Emmanuel Macron urgently convened ministers on Tuesday and asked for "empathy" towards the students and proportionality in police response. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will appear before the National Assembly on Wednesday and then address the French people in an attempt to calm tensions that have coincided with the presentation of budgets and social spending cuts of ¤54 billion.