The Corsican collective encouraged the Marseillais to mobilize

In Marseille, after the murder of Mehdi Kessaci, a white march was organized. But Corsican activists are calling on civil society to organize and demand that the state mount a real fight against drug trafficking.

In Marseille, after the murder of Mehdi and his funeral, a white march was organized this Saturday, November 22. “He’s just guilty of being my brother“, said Amine Kessaci, activist committed to fighting drug trafficking, in a column in Le Monde. Because the chosen path, for now, is a crime of warning. After the fourteenth murder driven by drug trafficking in 2025, the city of Marseille is ravaged by this scourge.

It’s hard not to draw parallels with our Corsican neighbors, who face the mafia. If Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti, one of the founders of the anti-mafia collective Massimu Susini Noting the differences between the two foundations, such as the origins of criminal organizations, he notes a sad similarity: the harm done to humans and the impact on society.

For six years, community groups in Corsica have been mobilizing against the mafia. They even traveled to Italy, the land of organized crime in Europe, to observe the struggle that was about to take place. Léo Battesti, co-founder of the collective Maffia no a vita ièunequivocal on this issue: white demonstrations are good, but we must now mobilize. Faced with this situation, where there is no collective struggle against drug trafficking in Marseille, his words were firm. “This situation of increasing fear can only be broken with unity, a shield that must be built by citizens.s, he exclaimed. If everyone stays in their own corner, if everyone worries about their neighbor, one day, it will happen to them, directly or indirectly..”

If we are satisfied with an emotion, with a blank march, if there is no extension, we will retreat so we can jump better.

Léo Battesti, co-founder of the collective Maffia no a vita iè

France 3 Provence-Alpes

Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti agrees with Léo Battesti’s comments. “Unfortunately, just like us, when there is drama, tragedy, we often forget it because there is still another drama that follows. However, this drama had a significant media impact and the people of Marseilla had to react“, he emphasized. He added: “Whatever we do, we are always overwhelmed with emotions, simply because we don’t want to get used to it. We must go beyond emotions and organize society to fight the mafia.” According to the man who lost his nephew in a murder initiated by the mafia, citizens have the power to fight criminal gangs, thanks to their intelligence and vital energy for this struggle.

After six years of struggle, Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti emphasized: when civil society mobilizes, we get results. But for that, you need more than just a white march. “The white road responds to emotions. There is absolutely no danger. The danger begins when you demand decisive action from the authorities, when citizens start making proposals, when they organize themselves, when they start analyzing the situation to fight the mafia.“, he confirmed.

However, since the murder of Mehdi Kessaci, associations, residents and lawyers have remained silent out of fear. Terrified, because Mehdi died from six bullets in the chest, silencing his brother. Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti’s Shades: “Here, we are not talking about omerta. Omerta is the choice of silence. There was no choice there, we just kept quiet because we were afraid. When we fear the mafia more than the state, we are doomed.” For Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti, the State is failing.”It is unnatural that a country as strong as France cannot protect its citizens and society is more afraid of criminals. This means that criminals are the ones who make the laws, with the amount of violence and cruelty they display.“, he exclaimed.

To advance, Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti accompanied by the Crim’halte association went to Italy, “a mafia state, but also an anti-mafia state“There, they saw the power of civil society.”Society has achieved results and we invite the Marseillais to organize themselves, to understand the phenomenon, to analyze it and to propose ways to elected officials and the State to better combat it.“, he reported. Léo Battesti joined in the comments, taking the results they obtained after six months of struggle.”We have changed course and we are in the process of turning Corsican culture around. There are developments that can maintain hope. I’m not saying it will happen, but in any case, it won’t happen like before, where everyone was watching TV to count the bodies..”

Everyone stressed the need for associations to challenge the State, authorities and elected officials.so they can do what is necessary to ensure this phenomenon goes away.“Because according to him, if this phenomenon exists, it is because of the person responsible for our management and security.”hasn’t done the job well enough or perhaps doesn’t have the tools“.”If the country is not connected to civil society, the country will be destroyed! If the authorities do not understand the seriousness of this situation, it will be very difficult and there will definitely be other victims and other innocent victims. Until people shut up for good.”

And this will happen through demonstrations, according to Léo Battesti who guarantees that it is necessary “bringing political forces to take action, as they have a policy of burying their heads in the matter.“. “We must end this phenomenon, it is impossible to continue like this. It is civil society that is bearing the brunt of the impact and we need a response that goes beyond what was expected“, said Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti. He added that”any delays we experience in the development of criminal laws against criminal organizations will increase bloodshed. This is reality“.

For them, creating criminal laws tailored to this unique crime is essential. Léo Battesti rightly emphasizes that current legislation “ineffective compared to the higher-ups, namely those from Dubai or prisons who dominate the situation“. Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti described their desires by taking the example of the confiscation of mafia property that has become mandatory in Corsica. But he added that their struggle continues with the creation of mafia crimes,”which would make it possible to associate, in the same criminal organization, the murderer, the money launderer, the white collar criminal, the corrupt elected official“All to fight criminal networks more effectively.”who is not just a killer“.

In this case, Léo Battesti added that the mafia is not just people who shoot and kill. But the overall economic system is being implemented and “who profit from the impunity of gangs, who water this economic system and control it under pseudonyms or threats“.

For Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti, the need for quick and immediate action to change the law is because “The financial and corrupt power of the mafia will take such control that it will be difficult to eradicate them afterwards“.”This will be very difficult. This will take a lot of time and cost a lot of lives.He continued: “In Italy they made anti-mafia laws using the blood of the dead. We said that we should write it in ink, before doing it in blood“, he exclaimed.

For Uncle Massimu Susini, this phenomenon can be reversed and eliminated with understanding and laws. Léo Battesti joins his friend in explaining the importance of civil society. “We need this cultural upheaval, which involves first coming out of silence, then building, imagining things and bringing them into symbiosis with the world of economics and politics. That can only be done through this mobilization.”