Massive Political Mobilization Expected at Mehdi Kessaci Commemorative March in Marseille

A significant white march is set for November 22, 2025, in Marseille to honor Mehdi Kessaci, a 20-year-old man murdered in connection with drug trafficking. The event is organized by his family, including his brother Amine Kessaci, a well-known environmental and anti-drug trafficking activist, who calls for a united front against narcotrafficking and organized crime. The march aims to draw up to 100,000 participants and is framed under the slogan "Justice for Mehdi."

The political response is notably strong, with almost fifty political personalities expected to attend. Prominent left-wing and ecological party leaders such as Olivier Faure (Socialist Party), Manuel Bompard (La France Insoumise), Marine Tondelier (Les Écologistes), Fabien Roussel (Communist Party), Cyrielle Chatelain, and Yannick Jadot are among the participants. Government representatives including spokesperson Maud Bregeon, Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, and Minister of City and Housing Vincent Jeanbrun will also attend, signaling official state support for the grieving family. Attal and former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, along with former Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti, will be present, highlighting cross-party engagement.

The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, has publicly encouraged citizens opposed to the drug trafficking crisis to join the march. This large-scale mobilization seeks to resist the reign of fear created by narcotrafficking in Marseille, aiming to leave no societal gaps as noted by Manuel Bompard.

However, participation from the right-wing spectrum is more limited and complex. While some representatives of Les Républicains will be present, major far-right leaders like Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella have been notably absent. The Rassemblement National did not formally engage with the family or confirm participation, reflecting political tensions around the march.

The event in Marseille will be a static gathering rather than a traditional moving march, allowing for community expressions of solidarity and outrage against narcotrafficking’s impact on the city. Similar demonstrations are scheduled across France, amplifying the call for justice and security.