Ali Rabeh calls the shooting a racist, probably Islamophobic attack and says speeches that ideologically arm attackers are criminal
Ali RabehMayor of Trappes, speaking to reporters in Trappes on the day of the shooting
Speaking to reporters in Trappes on the day of the shooting, Rabeh calls it objectively an attack with a racist and probably Islamophobic character. He says that speeches by ministers, presidential candidates and deputies blaming society's ills on Arab Muslims kill, and that speeches that ideologically arm those capable of acting are criminal and should be condemned as such.
Responding to
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
“We have to be collectively clear-eyed about the fact that speeches that ideologically arm those capable of acting are criminal and must therefore be condemned as such (Translated from French. Original: Il faut qu'on soit collectivement lucides sur le fait que les discours qui arment idéologiquement ceux qui sont capables de passer à l'acte sont criminels et qu'il faut donc les condamner comme tels)”
Reporting
Other statements by Ali Rabeh in this case
- Ali Rabeh criticizes Marine Le Pen's absence from the Assembly tribute and calls for a cordon sanitaire against the RNLater: Condemned
- At a Trappes rally, Ali Rabeh says Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the attackLater: Condemned
- Ali Rabeh says words always come before acts and that RN rhetoric about Trappes has not stopped since the attackLater: Condemned
Where this statement fits
Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh says Rassemblement national leaders bear responsibility for the racist attack in his town; RN officials reject the accusation
On October 23, 2026, a gunman shot at passers-by in Trappes and neighboring La Verrière, west of Paris, killing Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old Black Frenchman, and wounding seven people, including a 12-year-old girl. France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office opened an investigation for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, with the aggravating circumstance that the victims were targeted for their real or supposed race, ethnicity, nation or religion. According to anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen, the suspect, charged on October 29, admitted specifically targeting people he took to be Muslim, African or North African and chose Trappes because he saw it as a den of Islamists. Stickers praising the Rassemblement national (RN) were found at his home; he told investigators he was not a member or supporter of any party. Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh called the shooting a racist and probably Islamophobic attack and said that speeches blaming the country's ills on Arab Muslims kill. In an open letter on October 26 he wrote that Jordan Bardella and his party had placed a target on the back of every resident of Trappes, and at a rally in the town on October 30 he said RN leaders bear direct responsibility for the attacker's act, citing Bardella's description of Trappes as an Islamic republic in miniature. RN officials rejected the accusation. Sébastien Chenu, president of the RN group in the National Assembly, stood by Bardella's words and called Trappes a hotbed of jihadists; spokesperson Julien Odoul called the accusations delirious; and deputy Laure Lavalette said the RN is totally innocent of the tragedy. On November 10 Bardella said left-wing and far-left leaders, naming the mayor of Trappes and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, were putting fatwas and targets on the backs of political figures.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
AFP report from Trappes on October 23, 2026, the day of the shooting, quoting mayor Ali Rabeh's remarks to reporters and describing the investigation opened by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Rabeh says a 12-year-old girl is between life and death and that the people targeted could have been his mother or his brothers. He says the country is collectively responsible for what has just happened and calls for de-escalation and republican concord.
After the quotation
He concludes that a great country like France must argue for civil concord. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office opened an investigation the same day for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, with a racist aggravating circumstance.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Rabeh says that political speeches blaming society's ills on Arab Muslims kill and that speeches that ideologically arm attackers are criminal, which condemns that rhetoric.
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More from this case
Read the full caseRN spokesperson Andréa Kotarac says Marine Tondelier shames herself by blaming the RN for the Trappes attack and announces legal action
“By directly accusing @RNational_off of the racist attack in #Trappes, Ms. Tondelier is covering herself in shame. I am informing you that we are bringing legal proceedings against this person and her fake news. (Translated from French. Original: En accusant directement le @RNational_off de l'attentat raciste de #Trappes, Madame Tondelier se couvre de honte. Je vous informe que nous engageons une procédure judiciaire contre cette personne et ses fakenews.)”Read statement
Marine Tondelier says the RN should explain itself rather than sue her over her remarks on the Trappes attack
“It is up to the Rassemblement national to explain itself rather than to take me to court ... They must draw the consequences (Translated from French. Original: C'est au Rassemblement national de s'expliquer plutôt que de m'attaquer en justice ... Il faut qu'ils en tirent les conséquences)”Read statement
Jordan Bardella says left-wing leaders like the mayor of Trappes are putting targets on politicians' backs and defends his remarks on the town
“left-wing and far-left leaders putting fatwas and targets on the backs of political figures like the mayor of Trappes, and Mr. Mélenchon did it to us ... I have the right to point the finger at and to want to fight an ideology that, precisely in Trappes, sent several dozen young people to fight in Syria in the name of the Islamic State (Translated from French. Original: des dirigeants de gauche et d'extrême gauche mettre des fatwas et des cibles sur le dos de responsable politiques comme le maire de Trappes, et Monsieur Mélenchon l'a fait avec nous ... J'ai le droit de pointer du doigt et de vouloir combattre une idéologie qui précisément à Trappes a envoyé plusieurs dizaines de jeunes combattre en Syrie au nom de l'État islamique)”Read statement
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- Ali Rabeh calls the shooting a racist, probably Islamophobic attack and says speeches that ideologically arm attackers are criminal
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The Dispute Index. "Ali Rabeh calls the shooting a racist, probably Islamophobic attack and says speeches that ideologically arm attackers are criminal". First published: 2026-11-13. Last updated: 2026-11-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/8786-speaking-to-reporters-in-trappes-on-the-day