Emmanuel Macron praised Tuesday the role of two French people, “real heroes”, who intervened during a knife attack which left six dead on Saturday in a shopping center in Sydney.
“Two of our compatriots behaved like true heroes. Very great pride and gratitude”, writes the French president, who also sends his “condolences” to the “Australians struck by the attack”, on X. Saturday April 13, an attack stabbing in a Sydney shopping center left six people dead and eight seriously injured.
Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot “showed great courage in trying to stop the attacker,” said the French ambassador. One of the two, Damien Guerot, who heroically repelled him using a pole in an escalator, will be offered Australian citizenship, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday.
Five women and a Pakistani security guard were killed in the attack, which was not blamed on terrorism. Police are investigating whether the attacker, a 40-year-old mentally ill man, specifically targeted women.