Kurds, antiracism groups gather after deadly Paris shooting
Kurdish activists, left-wing politicians and anti-racism groups are holding a protest in Paris after three people were killed at a Kurdish cultural center a day earlier
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kurdish activists, left-wing politicians and anti-racism groups are holding a protest Saturday in Paris after three people were killed at a Kurdish cultural center in an attack that authorities said was aimed at foreigners.
The shooting in a bustling neighborhood of central Paris also wounded three people, and stirred up concerns about hate crimes at a time when far-right voices have gained prominence in France and around Europe in recent years.
The suspected attacker, who was wounded and is in custody, is a 69-year-old man who was charged last year with attacking migrants and was released earlier this month. Investigators were considering a possible racist motive for Friday’s shooting.
The shooting shook the Kurdish community in the French capital and sparked skirmishes between angry Kurds and police.
The Paris police chief met Saturday with members of the Kurdish community to try to allay their fears ahead of Saturday’s rally at the Place de la Republique.
Friday’s attack took place at the cultural center and a nearby restaurant and hair salon. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the suspect was clearly targeting foreigners, and had acted alone and was not officially affiliated with any extreme-right or other radical movements. The suspect had past convictions for illegal arms possession and armed violence.
Kurdish activists said they had recently been warned by police of threats to Kurdish targets.
In 2013, three women Kurdish activists, including Sakine Cansiz, a founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, were found shot dead at a Kurdish center in Paris.
Turkey’s army has been battling against Kurdish militants affiliated with the banned PKK in southeast Turkey as well as in northern Iraq. Turkey’s military also recently launched a series of air and artillery strikes against Syrian Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria.