Overview
- Video released Tuesday by Libération and L'Humanité shows Bally Bagayoko seize an already burning trash bin and pull it away from a lycée gate, a sequence that complicates earlier short clips that implied he started the blaze.
- Bagayoko has denied lighting the fire and said he went to the schools to support students while accusing critics of spreading lies and fake news.
- The mayor said police used Flash‑Ball crowd‑control rounds during confrontations and added that violence can be legitimate in some responses but should be avoided when possible.
- BFMTV filed a complaint after one of its teams was shoved during the protests and a video circulated showing reporters pushed out of a demonstration, a moment Bagayoko reposted on X.
- The episode has prompted partisan attacks from the government and right‑leaning outlets, spurred racist abuse on social media, and underscored how truncated clips can inflame France’s wider lycée blockades and police‑student tensions.