French authorities have insisted that the mass stabbing of African migrants at a Paris train station over the weekend was not an act of terrorism, despite admitting that the Malian national had intended to “attack French people”. .
The suspect who attacked Gare de Lyon with a knife is a 32-year-old man from Mali, West Africa.After obtaining an Italian residence permit in 2019, he used the European Union’s Schengen system to legally open internal borders. The man, who entered France in 2007, was charged on Tuesday. for “aggravated assassination attempt.”
according to to le figaro The newspaper said the suspected attacker, known publicly as “Cassogue S”, admitted to police that he had intended to “attack French nationals”.
Three people were injured in Saturday’s attack, including a man who was attacked with a knife and hammer and was left in critical condition. Law enforcement officials were quick to blame the attack on “mental health” issues, while downplaying the possibility of terrorism.
However, this situation apparently fell apart with the discovery of the suspected attacker’s TikTok account, in which he expressed support for “Pan-Africanism” and expressed anti-colonial sentiments. , the French bore the brunt of his wrath.
In one video, an African immigrant says, “I’m not French, I don’t dream of being French, I don’t like France, I hate all French people,” and then “I’m not French.” It was the French who took his life.” His grandparents were held hostage to slavery. It was the French who forced my grandparents to do forced labor to settle their accounts and finances. ”
He also expressed support for political violence, saying, “To control your enemies, to frighten your enemies, to intimidate your enemies, sometimes you have to attack.” Police insist there was no evidence of religious involvement in the attack, but footage has been released of Kassog saying, “May Allah take me to paradise in three months’ time.” .
Celebrities, along with former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, argued that attacks on French people by African immigrants are not just a mental health issue, but a political issue. saying “A few days later, it confirmed what the entire French people knew all along: that the attack on Gare de Lyon was indeed Francocide,” the prosecutor’s statement said.
“The clarity of the French people will ultimately triumph over the lies of politicians,” Zemmour added.
Paris station attack: African suspect declares ‘I hate French people’ before stabbing him to deathhttps://t.co/Lm6DiTpsoe
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 4, 2024
Prosecutors appearing in front of a judge on Tuesday said Kassog was “aggravated by conduct that preceded, accompanied, or followed statements establishing that he belonged to the suspect, whether true or not. “Attempted assassination and violence using weapons.” race, ethnicity, nation, or particular religion. ”
Prosecutor Laure Becuau said in a press release: “The defendant’s statements, including his use of the telephone, lead us to believe that he committed acts that attacked French nationals because of their national identity.”
Nevertheless, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office, the body with sole authority to decide whether terrorism charges should be brought forward in France, said that “the criteria for taking action are not met” at this time.
Lawyers for African immigrants appear to be willing to use mental health as a legal defense, with lawyer Yassin Yakuti arguing before a judge on Tuesday: The issue in this case becomes the health status of the client. ”
Three African knife men injured in Paris train station attackhttps://t.co/PYN6XYJbT8
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 3, 2024
