French authorities are investigating a Saturday night attack on a Paris police station by a group of about 40 people who used fireworks and metal bars, according to the the Paris Police Department.
Paris police said that unidentified attackers targeted the police station in Champigny-sur-Marne, a district nine miles southeast of central Paris, by launching “mortar shots and various projectiles”.
Although no injuries were reported, two police cars and three vehicles seized for investigation were damaged, and several windows of the building were broken, as attackers attempted to break into the station but were ultimately unsuccessful.
[INFO] de source policière, le commissariat de Champigny-s-Marne (94) a été attaqué par une cinquantaine d’individus armés de barres de fer et de mortiers d’artifices. Ont essayé de s’en prendre à deux agents sortis fumer devant le poste. Pourquoi?👇 pic.twitter.com/cZwZ37moaX
— EdouardChanot (@edchanot) October 11, 2020
“Violent attack last night on the police station of Champigny with mortar shots and various projectiles. No police officer was injured,” the police department said in Sunday tweet.
Violente attaque cette nuit du commissariat de #Champigny par des tirs de mortiers et projectiles divers. Aucun policier n'a été blessé.
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) October 11, 2020
Investigations en cours pour identifier les auteurs.
Le préfet de Police exprime son soutien aux policiers visés par ces actes intolérables. https://t.co/DgFm6wui4x
The reason behind the attack has not yet been made clear, as no attacker was detained.
The Champigny mayor, Laurent Jeanne, suggested that the violent attack could be in reaction to a recent scooter accident that has been blamed on police by district residents.
“It was an organised attack of about 40 people who wanted to do battle. For a few days it has been tense with people who have a certain willingness to do battle with the police,” Jeanne told BFM TV.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who visited the vandalized police station in the wake of the attack, blamed the attack on “little gang leaders”, as the district is well known for drug trafficking and is thought to be a high priority district in which order mus be restored.
“Little gang leaders don't impress anyone and they will not deter our work fighting drug trafficking,” Darmanin tweeted on Sunday. “Full support for our police officers who are doing a difficult job.”
Le ministre @GDarmanin et la ministre déléguée @EmmWargon, en présence du @prefpolice et du @Prefet94, étaient ce soir au commissariat de #Champigny afin d'exprimer leur soutien aux 👮♂️ locaux.
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) October 11, 2020
Reconnaissance à celles et ceux qui œuvrent au quotidien pour la sécurité de tous. https://t.co/mlzogACJbQ pic.twitter.com/kRAZW9BR1J
Darmanin said during an interview with Le Parisien that he intended to ban the sale of mortars to the public, arguing that “these are weapons by definition whose sale and use must be penalized”.
