AhlulBayt News Agency: AhlulBayt News Agency: Thousands of protesters marched through Paris and several other cities across France on Sunday to condemn the growing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment and to honor the memory of Aboubakar Cissé, a young Malian man who was murdered inside a mosque.
The demonstration in Paris saw a strong turnout and was attended by members of the left-wing political party La France Insoumise (LFI), including Jean-Luc Mélenchon and several LFI deputies. Protesters carried signs with messages such as “Racism begins with words and ends like Aboubakar,” highlighting concerns about Islamophobic violence.
One demonstrator, Tarek, a 44-year-old production manager from the Paris region, carried a large French flag and expressed his outrage. “With the death of Aboubakar Cissé, a red line has been crossed,” he stated.
Organizers estimated that 15,000 people attended the Paris rally, with similar demonstrations taking place in Lille, Lyon, and Marseille.
LFI deputy Éric Coquerel condemned the rise in Islamophobia, stating that the brutal killing of Cissé inside a mosque was evidence of escalating hate crimes.
Coquerel criticized Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, accusing him of failing to address the issue adequately. He vowed that his party would continue to hold accountable those enabling far-right rhetoric. “We won’t give up,” he assured French Muslims.
In Marseille, demonstrators carried signs that read, “Islamophobia kills, wounds, discriminates, humiliates… Stop.” Religious leaders, including a Catholic priest and a Protestant pastor, joined the march, advocating for peaceful coexistence.
The French Interior Ministry reported a 72% increase in anti-Muslim incidents in the first three months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with 79 cases recorded.
Aboubakar Cissé, a 22-year-old Malian man, was stabbed 57 times inside the prayer room of the Khadidja Mosque in La Grand-Combe on April 25. The attacker allegedly filmed the assault while shouting slurs against Islam.
Authorities have formally charged the suspect with “premeditated murder due to race or religion,” and he is currently in custody.
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