Knife attack in Paris: unanimous condemnation of the political class
Prime Minister Jean Castex, here surrounded by the mayor of Paris Anne Hidlago and the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, said the government's commitment to defending press freedom.
AP Photo / Lewis Joly
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
In France, the political class unanimously condemned the stabbing attack perpetrated this Friday, September 25 near the former premises of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, in which two people were injured.
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The impression of "
reliving a nightmare
".
After the stabbing attack committed this Friday near the former premises of
Charlie Hebdo
, in which two employees of the First Lines agency were injured, the former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who was in Matignon during the attacks 2015, shared his emotion on Twitter.
Like him, the entire French political class has expressed its horror at the attack.
Defense of press freedom
"
Horror strikes again in the middle of Paris
", lamented the national secretary of EELV Julien Bayou and the boss of the PS Olivier Faure.
"
Once again it is freedom which is the target of this barbarism,
for his part reacted the former President of the Republic François Hollande.
Once again it is national cohesion that is put to the test.
Once again it is the Republic which is struck.
But like yesterday, she will be able to show the strength of her values and the firmness of her response.
"The leader of the Insoumis Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced an"
infamous aggression
"against the production agency First Lines,"
a production house so useful for free information
. "
Prime Minister Jean Castex expressed the government's “
unwavering attachment
” to “
freedom of the press, its resolute will by all means to fight terrorism
”.
My thoughts are with the victims of the attack in # Paris11, and their families.
Full support to the security and rescue services as well as to all the women and men mobilized to shed light on this abject attack.
Stanislas Guerini (@StanGuerini) September 25, 2020
A man presented as the "main perpetrator" of the attack was arrested shortly after the incident.
Another suspect was also taken into custody.
If the assailant's motives are still unknown at this stage of the investigations, the attack took place in the midst of the
Charlie Hebdo
attack
and after the satirical newspaper was targeted by new threats.
A flagrant investigation was opened for “attempted assassination in connection with a terrorist enterprise” and “criminal terrorist association”.
It was entrusted to the national anti-terrorism prosecution.
On the right, calls to strengthen the fight against radical Islamism
Without waiting for its first conclusions, several voices on the right took the opportunity to ask to strengthen the fight against radical Islamism, a week away from a long-awaited speech by Emmanuel Macron on this file.
The deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes (LR) Eric Ciotti thus called on the Head of State "
to stop delaying decisions to combat the advance of Islamism
".
President LR of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, asked "
to end one day with political Islamism, to oppose collectively this murderous hatred, to tirelessly defend the freedom of the press
".
The tragedy in #Paris reminds us how much the fight against terrorism is a struggle to be waged relentlessly.
Our fellow citizens must be protected, our freedom and the values of our Republic defended.
My thoughts are with the victims as well as the security forces.
Christian JACOB (@ ChJacob77) September 25, 2020
"
How many stabs of Islamists will it take, how many lives shattered, how many attacks on young women for the government to move from commentary to action?"
", Questioned the leader of senators LR Bruno Retailleau, calling for the"
immediate
"
closure
of radical mosques, the condemnation of"
rappers with hate speech
", and the expulsion of"
foreign imams who preach hatred
"as well as that of migrants and refugees "
who do not respect our laws
".
Assuming once again the amalgamation of immigration, Islamism and insecurity, the president of the National Rally Marine Le Pen tweeted: "
How many victims would we have avoided by strictly controlling our immigration policy, by systematically expelling illegal immigrants, by making the hunt for Islamism?
Political cowardice is no longer possible.
"
Before them, Rachida Dati, LR mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, president of Debout la France, Yannick Jadot, MEP EELV, Nathalie Loiseau, MEP Renew, Ségolène Royal, ex-presidential candidate, have all denounced the attack.
(
With
AFP)
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France
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French politics