French President Emmanuel Macron has plunged France into a deeper crisis of trust, igniting widespread outrage after he declared a deadly shooting outside Paris a "terrorist and racist attack," claiming it marked a "turning point" for the nation. This extraordinary pronouncement comes as Paris stands on the precipice of another weekend engulfed in mass demonstrations and widespread rioting.
The incident unfolded on Friday, with a gunman opening fire at multiple locations, leaving one person dead and five wounded, including a 12-year-old girl.
Macron, attempting to seize the narrative, offered a politically charged statement: "What happened today is, I am telling you, a turning point, because it is the first time we have had a terrorist act that was planned to kill our compatriots, our children, based on the color of their skin or their religion." He emphatically added, "There is no place for this in France."
Yet, for many, this was less a solemn reflection and more an act of transparent damage control. Macron's selective outrage immediately drew sharp criticism, exposing a glaring double standard in how his administration acknowledges—or ignores—the victims of previous terrorist attacks on French soil.
His lengthy written statement further underscored this political tightrope walk, attempting to balance his new narrative with a belated nod to past tragedies:
Tonight, the Nation is in mourning following the terrorist attack that struck Trappes and La Verrière.
We are confronted with an act of extreme gravity, and one that, by its proven racist nature, marks a turning point for our country.
Mr. Pengo Bossio Wangi lost his life. Five other people are in absolute emergency, including a little girl who is fighting for her survival. We think of each and every one of them, of their loved ones, of their families. We owe them the support, affection, and solidarity of the entire Nation.
What happened today compels us. Tonight, I have reiterated the Nation's support for all the victims and their families. I have also reaffirmed our absolute determination to continue the fight against racism, in all its forms.
I also want to recall an essential truth and avoid any controversy: in recent years, our country has experienced attacks that targeted Christians because they were Christians and Jews because they were Jews. None of these victims must be forgotten. No pain must be ranked above another. And I want nothing tonight to add to the grief of the families, to the sorrow of the country, or to the nation's solemn reflection.
Our fight is one of universalism, of the Republic, of our unity and our cohesion. There is nothing more important tonight.
A united France that mourns its children, that stands by the victims and their loved ones.
A France that combats racism, antisemitism, and all forms of hatred and persecution based on religion or skin color.
This is the France we must defend. It is for its unity, for the safety of each and every one, and for the values that bring us together that I will fight to the end.
The absurdity of Macron's "turning point" claim was quickly highlighted by prominent commentators. As the popular European news account Visegrad 24 pointedly observed, Macron's narrative is a stunning revision of recent history:
Macron says that today’s shooting in Trappes was aimed at migrants and was the first terror attack in French history against a group of people targeted because of their skin color and religion.
He is naturally lying, as there have been several such Islamist attacks in France in recent years that were carried out against Jews or Christians.
2012: Mohammed Merah attacks a Jewish school in Toulouse and murders a rabbi and three children.
2015: Amedy Coulibaly murders four Jews at the Hypercacher kosher supermarket in Paris.
2016: Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean storm a church in Normandy and murder 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel by slitting his throat. They also critically wound an 86-year-old man.
2020: Brahim Aouissaoui storms a Catholic basilica in Nice and stabs three people to death.
Macron stated today: "What happened today is a turning point. It is the first time there has been a terrorist act planned to kill our compatriots, our children, because of the color of their skin or their religion."
The factual details of the latest atrocity are stark. The shootings occurred Friday morning in Trappes and La Verrière, communities approximately 15 miles southwest of central Paris. The gunman allegedly fired from a vehicle, targeting a gas station, a medical center, and an an area near a children's playground. The 12-year-old victim was reportedly struck eight times and remains hospitalized with severe injuries.
French authorities have arrested a 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kevin T., and recovered a Sten submachine gun and a tear gas grenade from his vehicle. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the attack, which Macron was quick to classify as racially and religiously motivated hatred.
Ali Rabeh, the mayor of Trappes, described a terrifying scene, stating the attacker "appeared to be firing at random and seemed intent on carrying out a massacre." Rabeh, acknowledging the sheer randomness of the violence, called it a "miracle" that more lives were not lost.
Beyond the shooting, Macron's government faces the daunting prospect of unprecedented civil unrest. With France preparing for another weekend of widespread demonstrations, the nation is already reeling from days of violent unrest that have seen vehicles torched, businesses looted, and public buildings damaged.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that an estimated 70,000 security personnel would be deployed across France this weekend. Major cultural institutions in Paris, including the Louvre, are expected to remain closed, a stark indicator of the instability gripping the capital.
The chaos has even begun to disrupt major international events. French authorities have taken the drastic step of postponing Sunday's highly anticipated Paris Saint-Germain soccer match against Lyon, rescheduling it for Monday due to the overwhelming strain on police resources.
Yet, amidst this escalating security crisis, the National Football League (NFL) inexplicably plans to proceed with its first regular-season game at France's national stadium in Paris. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are still slated to face off on Sunday. This, after the Steelers were forced to cancel a planned fan event in Paris due to the unrest.
President Trump, ever vigilant of global instability, rightly questioned whether the event should proceed given the violence. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed common sense, stating the game would not be played if conditions were unsafe. Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, seemingly detached from the reality on the ground, continued discussing the league's international expansion plans during a Friday appearance in Paris, even suggesting future games in Tokyo.
The contrast could not be more jarring. A nation in turmoil, deploying tens of thousands of security personnel, canceling major sporting events due to riots and terrorism, while the NFL discusses expansion and prepares to send American teams into the fray. It's a surreal display of priorities, or lack thereof.
For Macron, the immediate challenge extends far beyond keeping a football game on schedule. France is grappling with political unrest, widespread public disorder, and now a terror attack its own president has deemed a "turning point"—a conveniently selective interpretation of history that attempts to rewrite the record of Islamist violence that has plagued the country for years. The people of France deserve honest leadership that confronts all forms of terror, rather than politically motivated narratives that deepen divisions and ignore inconvenient truths. This is what true national security and common sense demand.
