reported<\/a> by France 24, the frequency and tone of the calls mark a troubling escalation. \u201cWe\u2019ve reached a new level in the openly racist remarks made by callers who take advantage of the anonymity of calls to let loose,\u201d she said. Employees say these incidents have occurred multiple times daily since the election.<\/p>\nBagayoko, 52, was born in France to Malian parents and represents the left-wing populist La France Insoumise (LFI or \u201cFrance Unbowed\u201d). His election is part of a broader shift that saw roughly 10 mayors of African descent win or retain office across the country. While many view these victories as progress, they have also drawn attention to persistent discrimination.<\/p>\n
The backlash has extended beyond phone harassment. Several Black political figures alongside Bagayoko, including parliamentary vice-president Nad\u00e8ge Abomangoli, reportedly received letters depicting Black individuals in \u201ca dehumanising and primitive manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disinformation has also circulated online. False claims spread on social media alleged that Bagayoko had referred to Saint-Denis as the \u201ccity of blacks.\u201d In reality, he described it as \u201cthe city of kings \u2013 and of the living people\u201d during a televised interview following his victory.<\/p>\n
The controversy intensified after a televised debate on CNews, where a host questioned whether the mayor was \u201ctrying to push the limits.\u201d A guest commentator escalated the rhetoric by invoking imagery associated with apes and tribal leadership, prompting outrage from advocacy groups and political leaders.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s prime minister, S\u00e9bastien Lecornu, condemned the climate surrounding the attacks, warning against what he called the \u201cnormalisation of evil and racism.\u201d Media outlets and political figures have also weighed in, with one editorial describing the situation as evidence of \u201cxenophobic attacks\u201d targeting newly elected officials from immigrant backgrounds.<\/p>\n
The newspaper further noted, \u201cThat France should be surprised that mayors in the suburbs have names with North African and West African-sounding roots is sad and worrying,\u201d adding that \u201ca part of the country is in full regression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fabien Roussel echoed these concerns, stating there is \u201cdeep-seated discrimination against people of the Muslim faith, Arabs and Black people who are stigmatized in an almost systemic manner, including in certain media outlets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Within Saint-Denis, the reaction has been mixed but increasingly unified. One local shop worker said the situation has become a frequent topic of conversation, noting that \u201ceveryone\u2019s talking about it.\u201d Despite the hostility, some residents say the backlash has strengthened community bonds. \u201cUltimately, it\u2019s creating a sense of solidarity and a kind of esprit de corps in the town,\u201d the worker said.<\/p>\n
Community leaders have also voiced frustration. Mohammed Ouaddane, head of a local cultural association, described the attacks as degrading. \u201cWe\u2019re being belittled,\u201d he said, according to France 24. \u201cThey\u2019re treating people like children, humiliating them. It\u2019s shockingly violent. Basically, they\u2019re telling them: you\u2019ve elected a monkey!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ouaddane added that Saint-Denis represents a broader vision for the country\u2019s future, calling it \u201ca testing ground for this pluralism and for this France that is currently being rebuilt in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED CONTENT: Power Women of the Diaspora: Ugandan Leader Talks Passion for Bridging Borders Between U.S. and Africa<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Mary Spiller April 4, 2026 A wave of abuse and disinformation followed Bally Bagayoko\u2019s win, exposing tensions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2536,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2561,2424,5,2562,1721,2423,2563],"class_list":["post-2535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-france","tag-bally-bagayoko","tag-discrimination","tag-france","tag-france-politics","tag-france-unbowed","tag-racism","tag-saint-denis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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