Soccer riot in France started by Le Pen worshipers
PARIS: A plainclothes police officer who shot to death a Paris soccer fan as he and a supporter of an Israeli club were under attack by a gang of hoodlums likely acted in self-defense, the Paris prosecutor said Friday.Here's another report from Reuters:
French authorities, led by President Jacques Chirac, condemned the racially based violence that has been a constant backdrop among supporters of Paris Saint-Germain and erupted into a deadly incident after the Thursday night UEFA cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
One man was killed and another seriously injured, apparently with a single shot in the skirmish in which some PSG supporters shouted racial epithets.
The officer, originally from the Caribbean, was trying to protect a French Jew from the gang of PSG supporters, officials said.
Prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin said a judicial investigation would be formally opened Saturday for "voluntary injury leading to unintentional death" but that the transport police officer, identified as Antoine Granomort, likely fired his gun in legitimate defense.
He was confronted with "a horde ... of extremely excited, extremely violent and extremely aggressive people," Marin said on France-Info radio. The officer's aggressors were 50 centimeters to one meter (two to three feet) away when a single shot was fired, Marin said, apparently citing the police officer's account.
The prosecutor's office identified the dead man as 24-year-old Julien Quemener.
Granomort has been questioned about how the incident unfolded to determine when he fired and under what circumstances.
"They were shouting 'filthy Jew' and when they saw our colleague, who comes from the Caribbean, they also yelled, 'filthy black, we're going to get you," said Luc Poignant, a police union official.
Chirac condemned the racist remarks as "shameful."
They "inspire a feeling not only of condemnation, not only of stupefaction — but also of horror," the president said at a summit meeting in Italy.
Police said the two men who were shot were members of PSG's far-right fan base that has a notorious violent and racist history.
Some 200 members of the group, the Boulogne Boys, met outside the Parc des Princes stadium Friday night to issue a call for calm.
"We are, of course, appalled by what happened and call for calm from all Parisian supporters," a statement handed out by the group said.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said some PSG fans shouted "Death to the Jew" as they attacked the Hapoel fan. The police officer responded with tear gas, but was knocked to the ground by a blow to the head and kick to the stomach, Sarkozy said. He then drew his gun and opened fire.
"Two men fell to the ground, of which one died from his wounds, while the other suffered a lung injury," Sarkozy said.
The Paris prosecutor said the PSG supporters had made Nazi salutes and shouted, "Le Pen, president," a reference to Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the extreme-right National Front party.
The Hapoel supporter was being pursued by around 100 PSG fans when plainclothes policeman Antoine Granomort intervened, according to the police.The latter person, I note, is most likely Arab, which shows that there certainly are Muslim racists turning up at these soccer games.
At first he let off a tear gas canister to try to disperse the assailants, but then himself came under attack, and was kicked to the ground by the mob, police said.
Witnesses said he shouted "police, police" before opening fire, killing 25-year-old Julien Quemener and injuring Mounir Bouchaer, 26.
Soccer is no place for bigots, and authorities should do what they can to keep them out.
See also at Expatica (via Elder of Zion).
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Labels: anti-semitism, Europe, France, racism