After deadly shots: Again riots in Paris

After the deadly shots in a Kurdish neighborhood in Paris, riots broke out again. There were clashes with police on the fringes of a peaceful demonstration to commemorate the three dead on Friday.

In Paris, several thousand people took to the streets after the deadly attack in a Kurdish cultural center. Representatives of Kurdish groups, left-wing parties, anti-racist and other groups gathered at the Place de la République in the east of the French capital to commemorate the victims of the attack. Some participants shouted slogans against the Turkish government.

On the fringes of the largely peaceful demonstration, there were clashes with the police. Demonstrators threw objects and skirmished with security forces, who used tear gas. At least four cars were knocked over, at least one of which was set on fire. Garbage cans also burned and bus stops were destroyed.

Kurdish activists speak of “terrorist attack”

There had already been clashes between demonstrators and security forces on Friday evening. Earlier, a man fired several shots at a Kurdish community center, as well as a restaurant and a hair salon across from the center, killing three people. Three other people were injured in the attack. According to the Kurdish association CDK-F, all of the victims are Kurdish activists, including a young woman and a musician.

The CDK-F accused the Turkish state and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being responsible for the crime and described the attack as a “terrorist attack” that came after numerous Turkish threats. Turkey has long fought Kurdish independence aspirations, which are being promoted by the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK, among others.

Investigators assume a racist motive

The alleged perpetrator, a 69-year-old Frenchman, is now being investigated for a possible racist motive, as the French public prosecutor announced. According to investigators, he had declared that he was a racist. The former train driver was taken into police custody at the scene and taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin said the man was clearly targeting foreigners and acting alone. He has no known connections to right-wing extremists or other radical groups. The broadcaster BFMTV wrote that the suspect had stated that he wanted to specifically attack the Kurdish community.

Investigations into intentional killing and serious violence were initiated on Friday. According to prosecutors, the maximum penalty for the suspect is life imprisonment. The man has previous convictions for illegal weapons possession and violent crimes and was arrested last year for an attack on migrant camps. He was only released from prison in December.

Turkish and Kurdish meeting points more protected

After the attack, France wants to protect Kurdish meeting places. Throughout the country, guards are to be set up at places where the Kurdish community gathers. Darmanin also wants to check whether there are other threats against Kurds in France. The interior minister also announced that he would also protect Turkish diplomatic missions in the country to prevent counterattacks.