Mélenchon denounces “systemic racism” against black elected officials of LFI

LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced on Saturday a “systemic racism” of “the caste”, stepping up to defend the mayor of Saint-Denis Bally Bagayoko, targeted by a complaint for fictitious employment, and Aly Diouara, deputy and mayor of La Courneuve, accused of unduly occupying social housing.

“Black and LFI are too much for media supremacists. Racism has become systemic as a means of political struggle for caste,” he said on X, while the two elected officials from Seine-Saint-Denis had to explain themselves this week after information from Canard Enchaîné.

“After the slander against Bally Bagayoko, denied by the RATP, here is a campaign by the same people against Aly Diouara, mayor of La Courneuve. A coincidence? Previously, it was Danièle Obono, Rachel Keke and Carlos Martens Bilongo,” said the candidate for the presidential election, citing several black elected or former elected officials from his movement, France Insoumise.

Two elected officials recently implicated

Bally Bagayoko, elected mayor of Saint-Denis last March, is the target of a complaint from the AC!! association. Anti-Corruption for suspicion of embezzlement of public funds and fictitious employment, after an article in Le Canard chainé evoking a combination of full-time functions at the RATP and in his role as local elected official. RATP denied any employment of convenience and Bally Bagayoko denied Thursday in Le Parisien having benefited from a “technical favor” for this job held from the beginning of the 2000s, in parallel with local mandates, and paid around 6,000 euros per month.

Aly Diouara, for his part, affirmed on Friday, also in Le Parisien, that he was “totally on track” regarding the social housing that he continues to occupy despite deputy allowances of around 7,600 euros gross monthly, received since his election to the National Assembly in 2024.