In France, students are protesting against the poor condition of schools and shortcomings in the education system. Millions of people are on the streets, hundreds of students and policemen have been injured, and more than 6,000 arrests have been made since the beginning. The 53-year-old mayor Bali Bagayoko has come into the limelight amid this movement. He stood between police and students during a demonstration in the eastern part of Paris. His video went viral on social media. After this his supporters started calling him Spider-Man. However, right-wing leaders have accused him of promoting violence.

Bagaico is the mayor of Saint-Denis-Pierfitte-sur-Seine. About 1.5 lakh people live in this area. He was born in 1973. His parents came to France from Mali. He completed a bachelor’s degree in geopolitics and a master’s degree in science and technology. He entered politics in the year 2001. In 2017, he joined the left-wing party France Unbound. He was elected Mayor in March 2026.

After becoming mayor, Bagayoko initiated several schemes related to children’s education and facilities. He extended free meals in schools, provided free study materials to primary school children and started a free bicycle scheme for children below 15 years of age.

‘Poor state of schools, failure of government’

Bagayoko says the lack of teachers in schools, overcrowding in classes and the poor condition of schools show the failure of the government. He believes that it is unfair for children from poor areas not to get good education. He has also faced racist comments and political attacks since becoming mayor. The Paris public prosecutor opened an investigation into comments made against him on a TV channel. However, the channel has denied these allegations.

Two judicial investigations are also underway against Bali Bagayoko. The first investigation related to the allegation that he got the job through political help. He has denied the allegation. The second probe relates to his statement about violence during the demonstration. Thus, while on the one hand Bagayoko is in the news among students demanding changes in the education system, on the other hand they are also facing political accusations and legal investigations.