Paris, 23 October. French President Emmanuel Macron called the attack on people in Trappes, a commune south-west of Paris, a racially motivated act of terrorism and a "turning point" for the country, RBC reports, citing Le Parisien; ahead of nationwide protests called for 24 October, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez promised to deploy 70,000 police officers and gendarmes.
"This is a turning point, because for the first time a terrorist act has been committed that was planned to kill our compatriots, our children, because of the colour of their skin or the religion attributed to them," Macron said during a visit to Trappes. He called on the French to stand united and warned against spreading ideas that could justify such crimes. According to TASS, one person was killed and four injured in the shooting, among them a 12-year-old; the attacker, a 39-year-old resident of the Yvelines department, was detained. Initial reports said the motive was unknown; Macron described the attack as racist terrorism during his visit.
New nationwide protests are expected in France on 24 October. "I am also issuing a warning to those who might come and commit acts of violence: we will show no leniency. We will be extremely, extremely, extremely firm tomorrow," Nunez said. Besides the police and gendarmerie, he said, specialised units, drones and "a large number of helicopters" will be deployed in the Paris region and across the country, and units will be set up in every department to bring those arrested before the courts quickly. Protests have been banned in Nîmes and Alès, where a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew has been imposed on minors.
After earlier unrest in France, 2,700 people were detained and 217 remanded in custody, according to the Justice Ministry. Café and shop owners in Paris boarded up their windows ahead of the protests. The Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been postponed from Sunday to Monday for security reasons.
What it means: France is simultaneously living through a racist terrorist attack and waiting for a new wave of street unrest. The authorities are responding with firmness: 70,000 security personnel, bans on demonstrations and fast-track courts.
Who benefits: The government, which can show it is in control ahead of the weekend; residents and shop owners, who are protected from rioting. Bans and the scale of the police presence make protests harder to stage for their organisers; the sources do not give their position.
Background: The French authorities announced as early as 21 October that "massive" forces were being prepared for the Saturday protests. Trappes is a commune in the Yvelines department, south-west of Paris.
List of sources used: RBC, Anadolu, TASS
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
