The Mayor of Millau and President of the Millau Grands Causses Community of Communes, Christophe Saint-Pierre, has strongly condemned the racist terrorist attack perpetrated on Friday, October 23rd, in Trappes and La Verrière. He calls for a collective awakening against the normalization of racism in society.
This tragedy claimed the life of Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old man, and injured five others, including a 12-year-old child. Racist motives are at the heart of the counter-terrorism investigation. On behalf of the City of Millau and the Community of Communes, the mayor expressed his deep compassion and solidarity to the families, loved ones, and residents of the affected areas.
Christophe Saint-Pierre emphasized that this attack is an assault on the foundations of the Republic: equality, fraternity, and the right to live freely and securely. He warned against the normalization of racism, which manifests in conversations, on social media, and in certain public discourses, gradually making the unacceptable acceptable.
He reiterated that there is no such thing as 'minor racism' and that every dehumanizing word, every discourse that designates a population as a threat, and every silence in the face of discrimination weakens the republican pact. Freedom of expression cannot legitimize incitement to hatred, and no difficulty justifies scapegoating citizens.
The mayor stressed the immense responsibility of elected officials, political leaders, the media, and every citizen to reject generalizations and combat prejudice. He welcomed the call from the Human Rights League and civil society organizations for rallies on Monday, October 26th.
'Faced with racism, neutrality is not a response. Faced with hatred, silence is not an option. Faced with violence, our Republic must oppose the firmness of its principles and the strength of its values,' he stated. He concluded by asserting that racism is an attack on human dignity and a threat to democracy, urging never to become accustomed to hatred or intolerance.
