Hundreds honour victims of racist attack in France's Yvelines
Mourners gathered in La Verriere and a larger rally was planned in Trappes, a week after a racially motivated car attack killed one man and injured seven.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the town hall in La Verriere, in France's Yvelines department, on Friday afternoon to honour the victims of a racially motivated attack that killed one man and injured seven others on 23 October, Le Progres reported. A separate, larger rally against racism and Islamophobia was planned for later on Friday in nearby Trappes.
The attack's suspect, a 39-year-old man named as Kevin Tessier, drove his car at pedestrians in La Verriere and Trappes, killing Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old Black Frenchman, and injuring seven others, including a 12-year-old girl who was seriously hurt in La Verriere, according to Le Progres. Tessier was formally charged in Paris on Thursday and remanded in custody, after prosecutors said he had acknowledged targeting people he believed to be Muslim, African or North African.
La Verriere's mayor, Nicolas Dainville, who called the gathering, told the crowd outside the town hall that the attack was a racist act aimed at people of African and Maghrebi origin and of the Muslim faith, describing it as a terrorist act and adding that racism was "a poison that fractures our society." The gathering, attended by Ile-de-France regional president Valerie Pecresse and Yvelines department council president Pierre Bedier, observed a minute of silence for the victims after the mayor's address.
Presidential candidate Edouard Philippe also attended the La Verriere gathering. In Trappes, several thousand people were expected at the separate rally called by the town's mayor, Ali Rabeh, with left-wing figures including Jean-Luc Melenchon, Raphael Glucksmann and Segolene Royal expected to attend. Trappes and La Verriere are both described by Le Progres as towns marked by the same attack, a week after the violence that shook both communities.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · Le Progrès A racially motivated car attack in La Verriere and Trappes, Yvelines, on 23 October killed one man and injured seven others, including a child, Le Progres reported.
- Official · Prosecutors Suspect Kevin Tessier, 39, was formally charged in Paris on Thursday and jailed, after acknowledging he had targeted people he believed to be Muslim, African or North African, prosecutors said.
- 2+ outlets · Le Progrès, Le Figaro +1 Hundreds gathered in La Verriere on Friday afternoon for a tribute to the victims, attended by regional and departmental political figures and presidential candidate Edouard Philippe.
- 1 outlet · Le Progrès A separate, larger rally against racism and Islamophobia was planned for later on Friday in Trappes, with national left-wing figures expected to attend.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
The attack and the political response to it, drawing figures from across the French political spectrum to two separate gatherings on the same day, reflect how racially and religiously motivated violence remains a live fault line in French politics. The case has also moved quickly through the justice system, with a formal charge filed within a week of the attack, as both gatherings sought to answer the violence with public shows of unity rather than division, after days of raw grief in both towns.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Le Progrès: Yvelines. Attentat raciste : des centaines de personnes réunies à La Verrière avant l'hommage prévu à Trappes
- Le Figaro: Attentat dans les Yvelines : des centaines de personnes rassemblées à La Verrière
- Libération: Attentat raciste dans les Yvelines : des centaines de personnes rassemblées à La Verrière
- BFMTV: Attentat raciste de Trappes: l'avocat Arié Alimi annonce qu'une des victimes se constitue partie civile
- BFMTV: Attentat raciste à Trappes : les Niçois réunis en hommage au lycée Masséna, à Nice.
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in the Yvelines attack?
- A man drove his car at people in La Verriere and Trappes on 23 October, killing one person and injuring seven others, officials said.
- Who has been charged?
- Kevin Tessier, 39, was formally charged in Paris on Thursday and remanded in custody.
- What happened at the tribute events?
- Hundreds gathered in La Verriere on Friday afternoon, while a larger anti-racism rally was planned in Trappes later the same day.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.