At a Trappes rally, Ali Rabeh says Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the attack
Ali RabehMayor of Trappes, speaking at a rally against racism in Trappes
Speaking to several thousand people at a rally against racism in Trappes a week after the attack, Rabeh accuses Rassemblement national leaders of direct responsibility for the attacker's act. He says the RN has passed on hatred across the decades, asks what Bardella does other than push his supporters to act when he calls Trappes an Islamic republic in miniature, and says the suspect's description of Trappes as a den of Islamists shows the danger of the propaganda of Bardella, Marine Le Pen and those who relay it.
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.
“The Rassemblement national has ensured the transmission of hatred across the decades ... When Jordan Bardella describes Trappes as 'an Islamic Republic in miniature'; when he urges his supporters to 'give Trappes back to France' (...), what is he doing other than pushing his troops to act? (Translated from French. Original: Le Rassemblement national a assuré la transmission de la haine à travers les décennies ... Quand Jordan Bardella décrit Trappes comme 'une République islamique en miniature' ; quand il exhorte les siens à 'rendre Trappes à la France' (...), que fait-il d'autre que de presser ses troupes à passer à l'acte ?)”
Reporting
Reporting
Other statements by Ali Rabeh in this case
- In an open letter, Ali Rabeh says Bardella and his party placed a target on the back of every Trappes residentEarlier: Condemned
- Ali Rabeh criticizes Marine Le Pen's absence from the Assembly tribute and calls for a cordon sanitaire against the RNEarlier: 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
Report on the two rallies held on October 30, 2026 in La Verrière and Trappes, with Ali Rabeh's speech accusing Rassemblement national leaders, the charging of the suspect, and a complaint filed by one of the wounded against Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella and CNews.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
AFP report on Ali Rabeh's speech to a rally against racism in Trappes on October 30, 2026, with the anti-terrorism prosecutor's account of the suspect's statements and the stickers found at his home.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The rally, called by the mayor on the Place des Merisiers a week after the attack, drew several thousand people, including presidential candidates Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Raphaël Glucksmann and Marine Tondelier. France 24 reports that the suspect's description of Trappes as a den of Islamists echoed Bardella's 2022 remarks about the town.
After the quotation
The crowd booed each mention of Bardella and Le Pen. Rabeh also criticizes CNews and the media empire of billionaire Vincent Bolloré, and urges free media to close their airwaves to people convicted of racism.
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 the RN's descriptions of Trappes push its supporters to act and that its leaders bear direct responsibility for the attack, which condemns that rhetoric.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Jordan Bardella, Rassemblement national
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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- At a Trappes rally, Ali Rabeh says Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the attack
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The Dispute Index. "At a Trappes rally, Ali Rabeh says Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the attack". First published: 2026-11-13. Last updated: 2026-11-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/8789-speaking-to-several-thousand-people-at-a-rally