In Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, thousands of people pay homage to Samuel Paty
Several thousand people took part in a white march in tribute to Samuel Paty on October 20, 2020 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
AP Photo / Lewis Joly
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Several thousand people came this Tuesday evening, October 20, to participate in a white march in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine to pay tribute to the history-geography teacher, assassinated on Friday in this city where he was teaching.
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The crowd gathered around 6.30 p.m. in front of Le Bois-d'Aulne college, where the 47-year-old professor was teaching.
Six thousand people, according to estimates by gendarmes on the spot.
The rally begins with 10 long minutes of silence
in memory of Samuel Paty,
beheaded by an 18-year-old Chechen Russian refugee for showing his students caricatures of Muhammad during a course on freedom of expression.
Bursts of applause resound as the march, guided by local elected officials, sets off peacefully towards Place de la Liberté, in this small town of Yvelines known to be quiet.
They are holding candles, white roses, the looks are serious.
Mailis, 11, came to this white march with her father.
She says her amazement and she thinks of her teachers to her who could have been the target of the terrorist.
“
France is a secular state and we can talk about all religions without being afraid of death,”
explains the young girl.
We must continue to defend freedom of expression
”
His father nods,
the freedom to express
himself particularly close to his heart.
“
We must not let go of freedom of expression, it is very important to us.
Me, I am of African origin and if I am in France today it is also for that.
We really need to support the teachers as well
”.
We must protect teachers, also says this teacher from a neighboring college.
"
It is absolutely unacceptable that in France in the 21st century, a teacher cannot teach freedom of expression and current affairs to his students and that he must be careful what he says
", deplores- she does.
“
Death for teaching history
” is written on masks and a sign in homage to Samuel Paty.
Tonight, these citizens gathered next to this teacher's college so that such a horror would never happen again.
The National Assembly pays tribute to Samuel Paty with a minute of silence
Anthony Lattier
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