Bally Bagayoko, the 53-year-old mayor of St.-Denis Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, has become the face of France’s youth protests. During a student demonstration in eastern Paris, Mr. Bagayoko spread his arms wide to shield young protesters from riot police and screamed, “Stop!” Footage of the mayor at the protests has featured regularly in social media and television news programs, drawing both applause and condemnation. Supporters have called him Spiderman. Others, including right-wing politicians, have accused him of inciting violence and called for his removal, particularly after he said that “violence at some point can be legitimate.” Mr. Bagayoko says the backlash shows his political opponents view his far-left party as a threat in next year’s presidential election. His party leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, could make the runoff. Critics say Mr. Bagayoko inflames division and should take responsibility for vandalism at school blockades he has attended. Valérie Pécresse, head of the regional authority, suggested he pay about $110,000 to repair a damaged school gate. The criticism began after his unexpected election in March, when far-right figures misleadingly described his remarks about “the city of kings” as “the city of Black people.”
St.-Denis Pierrefitte-sur-Seine is home to roughly 150,000 citizens, more than any other area on the edge of Paris. Mr. Bagayoko’s victory attracted particular attention because he was part of a wave of new mayors of color elected in the suburbs north of Paris.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing