France National Rally’s Marine Le Pen condemned the 2019 assassination of four agents by an Islamist terrorist on its anniversary. Her remarks come amid violent riots across France and growing political tensions over the influence of the far-left.
“On October 3, 2019, four agents, including three police officers, were assassinated by an Islamist terrorist within the Paris police prefecture,” Le Oen wrote on X. “Today, we have a thought for their families. Faced with the threat of Islamist fundamentalism, we must act with strength and determination to annihilate this ideology that causes deaths and threatens our most fundamental rights.”
The comments come as France has experienced violent demonstrations that have resulted in arrests, fires, and clashes with law enforcement. Although reports have attributed the protests to student concerns over staffing shortages and overcrowded classrooms, accusations have been raised about the far-left exploiting the demonstrations. According to Reuters, French intelligence services have identified the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) and its allies as being behind efforts to expand the unrest.
"Shared assessment by the intelligence services on the origin of the movement: an operation organised by LFI (France Unbowed) and its proxies on the far left," a memo presented in a crisis meeting with the prime minister stated.
Le Pen also posted a video of a young policewoman being chased by a mob, saying, “These acts deserve exemplary punishments. Let her know that tonight, millions of French people offer her their warm support.”
In another X post earlier this week, Le Pen said, “This is no longer about high school student protests. It is about riots organized by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise. We must pass a new anti-rioters law so that participation in a riot is a clearly identified offense.”
