In Saint-Denis, Mayor Bally Bagayoko is calling for a march against racism on June 21st.

Bally Bagayoko, the LFI mayor of Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis), launched a call on social media for a "major march against racism and all forms of discrimination" on Sunday, June 21, the day of the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival). The exact location and route are not yet known, but the date has been set as a key event. It's also a way to bring the debate into the streets, where politics sometimes likes to present itself as a spectacle of crowds and banners.

A mobilization against the backdrop of a complaint and a judicial investigation

A mobilization against the backdrop of a complaint and a judicial investigation. This gathering follows an initial rally organized in early April in Saint-Denis, presented as a response to racist attacks and remarks targeting the mayor after his election in the first round of municipal elections on March 15. Since taking office, Bally Bagayoko, of Malian origin, has been the target of discriminatory comments, notably on the CNews television channel. The Paris public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for "public insult based on origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion," following a complaint filed by the mayor.

In his message, the elected official calls for "maintaining popular pressure" and "unity" in the face of the rise of the far right, classic mobilization rhetoric that seeks to broaden its appeal beyond his own person. A Parisian gathering had been planned for May 3rd, before being postponed, as La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) chose to reschedule to avoid the proximity of the May Day demonstrations. It now remains to be seen whether, on June 21st, the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival) will serve as a platform for a march announced as a political signal, or whether the momentum will be thwarted by reality: conflicting agendas, internal divisions, and activist fatigue.