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Several people have been injured and killed in central Paris. What we know about the fact.
The incident: On Friday, a man fired several shots at a Kurdish community center, as well as a restaurant and a hairdressing salon opposite the center, killing three people. Three other people were injured in the attack in the tenth arrondissement of Paris. According to the Kurdish umbrella organization Kurdish Democratic Council in France (CDK-F), all the victims are Kurdish activists. The alleged perpetrator, a 69-year-old Frenchman, was arrested.
The suspectAccording to France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the perpetrator apparently acted alone and, as a marksman, had a number of weapons at his disposal. So far, the police have confirmed his French citizenship. In addition, the suspect is known to the authorities for two attempted homicides in 2016 and 2021. The newspaper “Le Parisien” wrote that he attacked a migrant camp in the 12th arrondissement with a saber last year and injured several people there. The man only got out of prison in mid-December and was under judicial supervision. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed this.
The motif: A right background of the attack is checked. France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said of the perpetrator: “He obviously wanted to attack foreigners.” Whether they are explicitly Kurds is unclear. Media reported that the man told the police that he was a racist and therefore committed the crime. The broadcaster BFMTV wrote that the suspect had stated that he wanted to specifically attack the Kurdish community.
The reactions: “The shots fired in the street triggered a total panic,” a businesswoman from a neighboring building told the AFP news agency. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “The Kurds in France were the target of a vile attack in the middle of Paris”. His thoughts are with the victims and their families.
A few hours after the crime, the Kurdish Democratic Council called for a protest meeting. Eventually there were riots. The police used tear gas.
Some politicians condemned a “terrorist” and “racist” attack on Twitter. «Almost exactly ten years ago, three Kurdish activists were murdered in the middle of Paris. That’s enough,” wrote Jean-Luc Mélenchon from the party “La France insoumise”.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also commemorated the victims and their families. “The Kurdish community, and through it all Parisians, have been targeted by these killings, committed by a far-right activist,” Hidalgo wrote on Twitter. A psychological support service will be set up in the 10th arrondissement town hall.
Also on Saturday numerous people gathered in the French capital to protest. Local media reported a partly heated mood. On the fringes of the demonstration on the Place de la République, there were also isolated riots. The broadcaster BFMTV wrote that demonstrators had thrown at the police; with what exactly, was initially unclear. The law enforcement officers used tear gas.