Focus on the BIG picture.
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025

Clashes erupt in central Paris after shooting at a Kurdish cultural center

Incidents take place between the #Kurd community and the police in the 11th arrondissement of Paris
Clashes erupted in Paris on Friday as shocked members of the Kurdish community in Paris demanded justice after a deadly shooting attack killed three people at a Kurdish cultural centre.

A 69-year-old white man, suspected of killing the three civilians in the heart of the French capital on Friday, was swiftly arrested by the police.

The suspect is known to the authorities for racist attacks, and was wounded in the face as he terrified the neighbourhood. 

The retired train driver was deliberately seeking out foreigners, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. But he added that it was "not certain" that the man was aiming to kill "Kurds in particular".

As evening fell, riot police fired teargas to push back an angry crowd a short distance from the scene of the shootings as projectiles were thrown at officers, rubbish bins and restaurant tables overturned and at least one car damaged.

Members of the Kurdish community in Paris said they had been recently warned by police of threats to Kurdish targets.


'Odious attcks'
The president of France denounced the "odious" attacks against "Kurds in France".

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet, "The Kurds of France have been the target of a heinous attack in the heart of Paris. Our thoughts are with the victims, the people who are struggling to live, their families and loved ones."

Nearby residents and merchants were deeply rattled by the attack, which came as Paris is bustling with festive activity before the Christmas weekend.

The shooting occurred at midday at a Kurdish cultural center, restaurant and hairdresser nearby, according to the mayor of the 10th arrondissement, Alexandra Cordebard.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, she said the “real motivation″ for the shooting remains unclear.

Police cordoned off the area of the crime in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, a busy street with shops and restaurants near the Gare de l'Est train station. Paris police warned people to stay away.

'No sign of terrorist motive'Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said three people hit in the shooting have died, another is in a critical condition while two others are in hospital but with less serious injuries. The attacker was also wounded in the face, she said.

She said anti-terrorism prosecutors are in contact with investigators, but haven't found any indication of a terrorist motive.

The prosecutor said the suspect had at least two prior run-ins with police: an attack on migrants in tents in eastern Paris in 2021, and a recent conviction for another crime in a Paris suburb. She did not elaborate on the details of either case.

In one of his reported previous attacks on migrants, he wounded bystanders as he wielded a saber in a makeshift camp, said Yann Manzi of aid group Utopia 56.

He lamented the suspect's recent release, as did Kurds who gathered at the scene of Friday's shooting.

“It’s clearly the Kurds who were targeted," said activist Murat Roni, who comes regularly to the cultural center.

He described the centre “like the embassy for Kurds in Paris,” a gathering place for cultural events, political discussion, assistance with immigration procedures, “a house where all Kurds get together.”

'We do not feel protected in Paris'After Friday's shooting, he said, “We do not at all feel protected in Paris.. We don’t feel defended by the French justice system.”

A crowd in the neighborhood chanted, “Erdogan, terrorist” — referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — and “Turkish state, assassin.”

There has been increasing violence and tension between Turkey and Kurds in recent years.

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.

A Turkish citizen was charged with their killing, although suspicion also fell on the Turkish intelligence service.

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 has also recently launched a series of strikes from the air and with artillery against Syrian Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria.

The PKK is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, Europe and the United States, and has led an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

This latest atrocity comes after France was hit by a string of deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in 2015-2016 and the country remains on alert for terrorism-related violence.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
House GOP Blocks Second Democratic Bid to Release Epstein Documents
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Provocative Times Square Billboard Urges New Yorkers to ‘Move to Ohio’ Over Mamdani
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Lawmakers Report Overcrowded Conditions at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Facility
Taiwan’s Distant‑Water Fishing Industry Under Scrutiny for Migrant Worker Abuse
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
GAO Report Identifies Major Failures by Secret Service Ahead of Trump Rally Shooting
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
U.S. State Department Initiates Layoffs of Over 1,300 Employees
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Trump Administration Targets Chinese Influence in Agriculture
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
×