DIRECT. Attack in Arras: “There was no real threat” at the Louvre or Versailles, assures Darmanin

If Gérald Darmanin explained that there had been no “real threat” despite the evacuation of the Louvre, a visitor to the museum gave his testimony of the scene. “I was at the temporary exhibition from Naples to Paris. Louvre security asked to evacuate the establishment quickly, for security reasons, without giving any explanations to avoid panic. Very fortunately, in fact, because a traffic jam formed on the main emergency exit overlooking the Louvre pyramid. I don’t dare imagine what would have happened if there had been a crowd movement generated by any fear. Not great or at least not suitable in an emergency situation, especially since there are children and people with reduced mobility. In my opinion, this should be reviewed. »

“There are 4,000 delinquent foreigners whom I cannot expel from the national territory because the law prevents them from being expelled,” said the Minister of the Interior, recalling the immigration bill that he proposed.

“Telephone tapping has given no sign of threat since July 2023,” explained the Minister of the Interior. The contacts he had with his father, who is deported, and his brother, who is in prison, led the Interior Ministry to this young person, who was not known to the intelligence services until July 2023. » According to Gérald Darmanin, nothing has suggested a move into action since the suspected killer was wiretapped.

“I have absolute confidence in the directors general and in particular Nicolas Lerner (the boss of the DGSI), recalled Gérald Darmanin. They have foiled 43 Islamist attacks since 2017. The courageous agents of the DGSI foil an attack every two months. It will have to be studied, but to my knowledge, there has been no failure of the intelligence services in this matter. »

The Minister of the Interior counts a “small” sixty people of Russian nationality on file S.

“National Education is particularly supported in securing its sites,” indicated the Minister of the Interior following a security meeting. There is a proximity instruction from schools. Independently of the educational staff in Arras, the police, in very dangerous conditions, intervened without using their service weapon to arrest the terrorist. »

“There are a lot of calls for threats of attack, by email or anonymously, particularly in schools,” explained Gérald Darmanin. We immediately arrest anyone who makes false calls for attacks. This is what happened at Versailles, at the Louvre and at the Gare de Lyon. Each time, we send the deminers after evacuating. There was no real threat. It was not a question of planting a bomb or committing an act. »

“I do not have to comment on the investigation (linked to Arras), first explained the Minister of the Interior. Nevertheless, an atmosphere of jihadism is evident. We believe that these images, this apology for terrorism (of Hamas), this desire to carry out anti-Semitic acts, makes it easier to take action. » He nevertheless clarified that it was “too early” to make a link between the war in the Middle East and the Arras attack.

After the knife attack which left one dead and three injured Friday morning in a high school in Arras, Élisabeth Borne triggered the “emergency attack” alert, the 3rd level and the highest of the Vigipirate system. Our article can be found here.

The Minister of the Interior will speak following a security meeting held at Place Beauvau.

Nearly 80 people gathered in front of the Pyrénées-Orientales prefecture in Perpignan to pay tribute to the memory of the professor killed in Arras, reports France 3.

Other cities such as Nantes, Laval or Montpellier also paid tribute to him.

The evacuation at the Versailles Palace is complete. This concerned the entire estate, “gardens and large park included”. The mine clearance teams have not yet intervened on site.

Although no precise attendance figures could be communicated, the monument welcomes an average of 15,000 visitors every Saturday at this time of year. The Palace of Versailles “does not make any comments at this stage”.

The Association of Mayors of France (AMF) invited elected officials to organize a minute of silence in their municipality on Monday in tribute to the professor stabbed to death in Arras.

“No cause can justify such an atrocity or such an attack on respect for life,” the AMF, which brings together nearly 34,000 municipalities in France, wrote in a press release on Saturday.

Via a press release, the Movement of Companies of France called on “its member companies to show tolerance regarding the arrival time of their employees, parents of secondary school students on Monday morning”. The employers’ organization recalled that parents must be able to look after their children until the opening of establishments, postponed to 10 a.m.

A minute of silence for “all victims of terrorism” was observed on Saturday in Marseille before the first quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup between Wales and Argentina.

One of the Parisian station halls was evacuated due to the presence of an abandoned object. “A usual intervention”, there is “nothing in particular”, however, tempered an SNCF spokesperson.

An eleventh individual was placed in police custody in the investigation into the attack which cost the life of Dominique Bernard and injured three other people on Friday in Arras, AFP learned on Saturday from a police source.

The town hall of the city of Pas-de-Calais is organizing a citizens’ gathering on Sunday at 11 a.m., “in memory of Dominique Bernard, in support of the victims and in solidarity with the Educational Community of Gambetta as well as all those in France” . Thus, the municipality wants to “highly uphold the values ​​of the Republic”.

“Like many fellow citizens, I owe a lot to the professors and teachers of this country, starting with my parents,” the astronaut wrote on X (formerly Twitter). It is a generous and profoundly useful profession, because education saves, gives the keys to life, and carries within itself the seeds of solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. Attacking them through ideology, whatever it may be, is unacceptable and revolting. Solidarity with teachers in France. »

The Versailles palace will no longer welcome visitors, according to a source close to the matter.

“Nothing can resist a united people, gathered around its school and its teachers, its values ​​and its principles,” concluded Élisabeth Borne. Three years after the tragic death of Samuel Paty, today once again, France mourns one of its teachers. Faced with violence and Islamist terrorism, we will not give up, we will continue to defend the transmission and knowledge, freedom of teaching, thought and debate. »

“When a teacher is attacked, it is not only the Republic that is targeted, it is its future that is threatened,” thundered Élisabeth Borne. We do not teach in anxiety, we do not learn with fear in our stomachs. We will not give in to violence, we will fight it. To all teachers, we will be there to ensure your safety. »

“My government, the prefects and the internal security forces are mobilized,” announced the Prime Minister. The school is a sanctuary, it must be protected from fanaticism.

“Once again, it is the school that the terrorists have chosen to attack,” said the Prime Minister. It is by design that fanaticism targets the school, a sacred and unique place where knowledge is transmitted and critical thinking is forged, where our youth learns and conquers their freedom. A place of emancipation, breeding ground of the republic, the first face of democracy. »

The Prime Minister paid tribute to Dominique Bernard to begin her speech at the presentation of the Samuel Paty prize. “In Arras, hatred and barbarism struck again, taking the life of Dominique Bernard,” declared Élisabeth Borne. He fell having saved many lives. My first words go to his loved ones, his family, his students. »