After a man opened fire on people in Trappes and La Verrière, in the Yvelines, on October 23, LFI deputy Aurélien Saintoul has pointed to years of racist rhetoric about the area as part of the wider context. The attack killed 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi and seriously injured four people, including an 11-year-old child. The attacker said he had targeted people he considered “Muslim,” “African” or “North African,” according to the article.
In an opinion piece, Saintoul argues that hatred does not emerge in isolation and criticizes media commentators who have repeatedly portrayed Trappes and its residents as a threat. He says the Arcom, France’s media regulator, should have acted as a barrier against discriminatory speech but instead allowed it to go unchecked.
The article cites a series of examples dating back to 2016. A police union official compared Trappes to Molenbeek on RMC. In 2020, CNews commentator Ivan Rioufol questioned the influence of political Islam and sharia in the town, later referring to it as “Trappistan.” Other political figures and commentators described Trappes as a victim of Islamization or as a territory governed by Islamic law.
The piece also recalls remarks made by RN president Jordan Bardella, who called Trappes a “miniature Islamic republic” and a “European capital of jihad” on C8 in 2022. In 2024, comments on RMC about filming a comedy series in the town prompted its mayor, Ali Rabeh, to complain to Arcom. The programme’s co-presenter dismissed the exchange as a joke.
Saintoul argues that repeated portrayals of a community as an enemy can make dehumanizing language seem acceptable. He says the Trappes attack reflects a failure not only of those who spread racist claims, but also of institutions expected to enforce the law.
Sources: Le Monde Culture.