Aftermath of Paris shooting incident in France... Hundreds of Kurds clash with police

Kurds Gathered in Central Paris Mourn Shooting Victims
Shooting Suspect: "I Am a Racist"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Violent protests have continued for the second day following a shooting murder that took place in broad daylight in downtown Paris, France.

According to foreign media such as BBC and CNN, on the 24th (local time), hundreds of Kurds gathered at Place de la R?publique in central Paris, holding banners and flags to mourn the victims of the shooting incident and to demand a thorough investigation into the case.

Earlier, around noon on the 23rd, a 69-year-old white man known as 'William M.' indiscriminately opened fire at the Ahmet-Kaya Kurdish Cultural Center, a nearby restaurant, and a hair salon in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, killing three people?two men and one woman?and injuring three others. Place de la R?publique, where the protests took place, is close to the Kurdish Cultural Center where the incident occurred.

On the 24th (local time), hundreds of Kurds held a violent protest in Paris, France, condemning the shooting murder incident that occurred on the 23rd. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Initially, the protesters started the gathering as a peaceful march with police permission. However, the situation soon escalated into violent protests, with cars overturned and set on fire on the road, and objects thrown at the police.

In response, the police took a hardline stance, firing tear gas at the protesters. It was reported that 31 police officers and one protester were injured during the protests. Additionally, the police arrested 11 protest participants for investigation. Some protesters continued to gather and demonstrate for a while at places such as Place de la Bastille even after the assembly was canceled.

Meanwhile, the suspect arrested at the shooting scene was revealed to be a racist. French channel AFP reported that the suspect stated during police interrogation, "I am a racist, and I targeted the Kurds." He also reportedly asked the police, "How many did I kill?" The suspect was transferred to a police psychiatric ward based on a medical opinion, and the French prosecution is investigating him on charges of intentional murder and violence.

The suspect, who worked as a train driver for the French National Railway Company (SNCF) before retiring, was previously imprisoned last December for injuring at least two people with a weapon in a migrant tent camp but was recently released on bail. He was also convicted of attempted murder in 2016, raising controversy over how he was released despite his criminal record, which ultimately led to another crime.

G?rald Darmanin, France’s Minister of the Interior, said, "He clearly targeted foreigners," but added that it is not certain whether the Kurds were specifically targeted. However, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "The Kurds in France have become the target of a horrific attack in the heart of Paris."

The Kurds are an ethnic group spread across T?rkiye, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, known as the largest ethnic group in the world without an independent state. According to a 2017 estimate by the Kurdish Institute in Paris, the global Kurdish population ranges from 36.4 million to 45.6 million.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.