The mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard (LR), denounced Thursday a “fairly grotesque media and political excitement with many sensational interpretations” after the arrest of a man who threatened a trader with a knife. “An attack is unfortunately possible here, but not everything is an attack,” insisted Mr. Lisnard, president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF), in a message on Facebook.
The man taken into custody
Wednesday around 7 p.m., a man who had rolled out a prayer rug in the grounds of a technical inspection establishment attacked the garage manager who asked him to leave, the Grasse prosecutor’s office explained to AFP . According to the manager’s statements, “the man took out a pocket knife while shouting ‘Allah Akbar'”, said the Grasse public prosecutor, Damien Savarzeix.
The manager retreated into an office and called the police. The man, who appears to be homeless, was arrested and placed in police custody for “apology of terrorism and violence with weapons”, added the prosecutor. Around 8:30 p.m., the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced on wanted to attack an individual. Thanks to them: they avoided the worst.”
Initially, a police source added that the events took place “in front” of a synagogue. Seen by many Internet users, the minister’s publication was widely commented on or shared. It was also featured in several media.
“The link with the synagogue is at this stage an extrapolation”
Later in the evening, David Lisnard provided details on the facts by commenting on the minister’s publication on we see an altercation (…) without an exchange of blows.” “The site is 20 m from the train station, 50 m from the high school, 100 m from the police station, 200 m from the synagogue. The link with the synagogue is at this stage an extrapolation,” he insisted in this same publication and on Facebook Thursday morning.