PoliticsPhoto: News18 WorldMayor Bally Bagayoko Becomes Symbol of French Youth Protests
Bally Bagayoko, 53, mayor of Saint-Denis near Paris, became a symbol of French youth protests after a viral video showed him shielding student demonstrators from riot police during an October 6, 2026, protest. Wearing a grey suit and lavender tie instead of the traditional mayoral sash, he physically blocked police and shouted "Stop!" before being hit by tear gas. Bagayoko, from the La France Insoumise party, said the students could be his own children.
News18 World··Saint-Denis




