Paris: Attack on Kurdish Center Kills 3

Facts

• At least three people were killed and another three injured in a shooting at a Kurdish cultural center in Paris on Friday — an attack that French authorities are calling racially motivated.
• The shooting took place on Rue d'Enghien — a popular shopping street — in the 10th district of Paris at a Kurdish community center, a restaurant, and a hair salon.
• The suspect, a 69-year-old former train driver identified by local media as "William M.," was detained without resistance. Authorities say he had recently been released from detention while awaiting trial over an attack at a migrant camp in Paris in 2021.
• According to French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, police in Paris and across France have been ordered to protect Kurdish sites and Turkish diplomatic institutions following the attack.
• Demonstrations took place in the surrounding neighborhoods as members of the Kurdish community protested the shooting and the Turkish government, which has opposed Kurdish nationalism.

Sources: Guardian, BBC News, Al Jazeera, and CNN.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. The French government isn't doing enough to protect the Kurdish community from the persecution and violence that follows them. Kurds should be able to live in peace and security, but complacency among authorities doesn't allow for this. This attack shows the extent to which racist far-right ideologies threaten the peace in France.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by France24. While the attack is undoubtedly heinous, French authorities — who are doing everything they can to protect Kurdish sites — aren't at fault. Although it's clear that the suspect was targeting foreigners, it's not certain that he was targeting Kurds in particular. Rather than inciting further violence, officials should be left to conduct a thorough investigation.