Arras: Emmanuel Macron calls for "unity" in the face of the "barbarity of Islamist terrorism"

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP 17:53 p.m., October 13, 2023

Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the French to remain "united" and "united" in the face of "the barbarity of Islamist terrorism", after the knife attack in Arras where a teacher was killed and two people seriously injured, amid fears of importing the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

"The choice is made not to give in to terror"

"Let's stay united", "we stand together and we stand up", the head of state said in the courtyard of a building opposite the middle school where the attack took place on Friday morning. "I am here to show the support of the nation, to say that we are united and that we are holding on," "the choice is made not to give in to terror, not to let anything divide us," said the president, who had already called on the French on Thursday evening for "unity" after Hamas' attack on Israel.

The slain teacher "intervened first and probably saved many lives himself," the President of the Republic said, recalling that this attack took place three years after the assassination of Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020. Emmanuel Macron also paid "tribute to all (the) teachers". He praised the "extraordinary courage" of the staff of the establishment and "of all the elected representatives of the territory who are united", as well as "the responsiveness of all the internal security services".

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Another attempted attack was foiled

The president also said that another "attempted attack", "in another region", had been thwarted thanks to an intervention by the security forces. He was referring to the arrest and detention of a man known for carrying a prohibited weapon at the exit of a prayer room in Limay (Yvelines), the Interior Ministry said. At this stage, this investigation is in the hands of the Versailles prosecutor's office, and not the national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office.

Arriving shortly before 15:00 p.m., Emmanuel Macron stayed for nearly two hours at the Gambetta secondary school in Arras, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin and the Minister of Education Gabriel Attal. He greeted and exchanged words with rescue teams, police officers, members of the teaching staff and students from the school. Some were taken care of by a psychological unit. As he emerged, he paused in front of the teacher's body, which was still in front of the school, covered with a blanket. Forensic teams were on site.