350.org statement on the attack in Trappes and La Verrière

Paris, 26 October 2026 – 350.org strongly condemns last week’s racist terrorist attack in Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, in which a gunman targeted non-white residents, killing one person and injuring four others, including a 12-year-old child. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victim, with those injured, and with the whole community. We trust the authorities to establish the facts, and urge everyone not to exploit this tragedy to turn people and communities against each other.

This attack comes at a tense moment for France. Hundreds of thousands of people across the country are mobilizing against the soaring cost of living and escalating climate impacts, from devastating wildfires to skyrocketing energy bills. As winter approaches, the most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of both economic hardship and political scapegoating. Their demands for a dignified life, for affordable energy and for real action on the climate crisis are legitimate, and they deserve to be heard.

Yet in recent days, a wave of disinformation driven by far-right outlets and networks has sought to discredit the mobilization and point the finger at immigrant communities. These voices are twisting the movement to stigmatize people of colour. The real source of hate and division is not the mobilization, but those who twist it for their own agenda.

This is a familiar pattern: during the first yellow vests movement in 2018, far-right groups also tried to exploit legitimate anger over the cost of living and turn it against migrants and minorities. The strategy is the same today, redirecting people’s anger away from those profiting from the crisis and towards their neighbours, putting already struggling communities at even greater risk. We refuse to let this social pain be hijacked to fuel hatred. The answer is not to turn on each other, but to make those truly responsible for these crises, starting with fossil fuel multinationals, pay their fair share. The 2027 budget now before Parliament is the moment to do it.

350.org urges the public, media and political leaders to reject dangerous scapegoating narratives and keep the focus on the demands that brought people onto the streets. France needs solidarity, safety and systemic solutions, not division. We call on everyone to make their voices heard through peaceful, democratic and civic means, and on all social movements to continue standing together against both economic injustice and far-right violence, so that every community in France can live in safety and dignity.