"
Never again
": such was the message soberly written on the t-shirts worn by most of the participants in the white march organized this Saturday morning in Bagnolet in memory of Ibrahima - Kandji El Hadji of his real name -, this teenager 16-year-old stabbed to death Monday, September 20 in the Lilas district (Seine-Saint-Denis) by another young person of the same age.
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The crowd, of around 400 people according to the police, first gathered in front of the social and cultural center of Bagnolet where the t-shirts were distributed, before setting out through the city around 11:30 am, direction the Rigondes football stadium where the missing young man was made redundant. The procession progressed calmly, led by relatives of Ibrahima. His mother in particular, her face contorted with pain, walked the route, hugging a photo of her son to her chest. Two other relatives of the victim also wore a football shirt signed by all Ibrahima's teammates and on which was written: "
Rest in peace, we will never forget you
".
Among the participants, many young people from Bagnolet but also from neighboring cities, and a large number of mothers who came to support that of the deceased teenager.
“
I live in the street where the tragedy took place.
I have kids the same age who have the same passions as this kid, and it's so sad that things like this happen that it was important for me to be there this morning.
It's not a community story, we are all concerned, we have to show solidarity,
”says Isabelle.
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Several times, the procession marked stops in front of places that the young man used to frequent.
Like the Lycée Eugène Henaff, where he had been educated before joining the Lycée Jean-Jaurès, in Montreuil.
“
The death of a young man is always terrible and the conditions of this death are all the more so.
We are afraid of this trivialization of violence.
It upsets.
This youngster is one of our children in the broad sense.
We are a department which is the sounding board for many of the difficulties in our society, so we have to ask ourselves questions, but above all, be present
”, underlines the deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis (LFI) Alexis Corbière, present at walking.
Alexis Corbière, deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis (LFI), during the white march in tribute to Ibrahima on Saturday September 25, 2021. Nicolas Daguin
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A little after noon, the procession arrived calmly at the Stade des Girondes.
There, those close to Ibrahima who had led the march settled into chairs as the crowd gathered in a circle around them.
"A lion who radiated with his smile"
A strong feeling took hold of the assembled assembly as an uncle of the teenager formulated a prayer taken from a verse of the Koran, a verse that his nephew
"knew by heart"
.
Ousmane Diaïté then gave a long speech in which he described Ibrahima as
“a fair, good, protective, open young man.
He was a lion who radiated his smile.
All those who knew him loved him and came out of it grown ”
.
In the center, the mother of the missing young man, hugging a photo of her son.
Nicolas daguin
And the man added that
“the society in which we live only shows violence.
She is responsible and must take responsibility.
The only innocents are the young, but they are also the victims. ”
He ended his speech by calling on the crowd to chant with him the message of the march: “
For Ibrahima, for all those who have left, for all the young people, never again!
The ceremony ended with applause, tears and a few hugs.
»See also -
White March organized in Bagnolet in tribute to Ibrahima, killed in Lilas
