Aubervilliers pays tribute to Pengo Bossio Wangi, killed in racist attack in Trappes
Several hundred people gathered on Sunday in Aubervilliers to honour Pengo Bossio Wangi, 26, killed on Friday in a racist attack in the Yvelines. The demonstrators expressed fear and anger at the rise of racism.
Tribute to the victim of the Trappes attack
According to Radio France - Justice, several hundred people gathered on Sunday 25 October in Aubervilliers, Seine-Saint-Denis, to pay tribute to Pengo Bossio Wangi, 26, killed on Friday in a racist attack in Trappes, in the Yvelines. The tribute was organised by the MMA club where the man trained.
Marghany, a friend of Pengo from the training club, expressed his grief: "He was a colleague, someone we saw every day, who was super cheerful, good vibes, and well, he was like family that we've lost." His sparring partners all turned up to the gathering, alongside local elected officials including deputy mayor Katalyne Belair, who could not hold back her tears: "It's shocking to be in a country where we're taught liberty, equality, fraternity and racism becomes commonplace and kills."
Fear taking hold
Prisca, 28, held a tricolour flag above the crowd. She expressed her anxiety about the racist climate: "We don't want to live in a society where we're afraid because we're Black, because we're afraid of fascists." She continued: "Today I'm afraid to go outside, I don't want to have children, and that's not normal, it's not normal to be afraid to live."
Mora, who came from Hauts-de-Seine, expressed her pessimism about change: "Today we're here, but the day after tomorrow it will be someone else and nothing will change. What's the next name? Tomorrow, it might be me." Participants repeated that what happened to Pengo could happen to any of them.
Anger and determination
For Salia, fear gave way to anger. She declared: "We're here and we're staying, whether they like it or not. That's how it is, they have to get used to living with us and from that point on, we won't stay silent anymore. We were fooled, we thought it was living together, it's a lie again."
The suspect, aged 39, was transferred to psychiatric care. His custody was suspended. A toxicology analysis revealed the presence of cannabis and cocaine in his blood at the time of the attack. Pengo's training partners announced that they would dedicate all their victories this year to him, with the determination to win the competitions.
Source: Radio France - Justice