A French football fan was shot dead by a black policeman after a gang of French anti-Semitics attacked a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan after the Israeli team beat Paris in the UEFA Cup
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Attacked black policeman kills football thug
By Peter Allen in Paris
25/11/2006
UEFA Cup
Paris St Germain 2-4 Hapoel Tel Aviv
The growing menace of racism in France was laid bare yesterday after a black policeman shot dead a white football fan as an anti-Semitic gang attacked a Jewish football supporter.
Anti-Semitism rears its head in France again: Broken glass is removed from a McDonald’s outlet after a policeman shot dead a football fan in Paris
The plain-clothed officer, of Afro-Caribbean descent, had been set upon by a gang of Paris St Germain supporters as he tried to rescue an Israeli fan outside the Parc des Princes late on Thursday.
The attack followed PSG's Uefa Cup 4-2 defeat against the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, during which hooligans had chanted a tirade of racist and anti-Semitic slogans.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister and presidential hopeful noted for his hard-line law and order policies, said the officer had been trying to rescue an Israeli supporter confronted by the 150-strong mob shouting "death to the Jew". The officer was, in turn, attacked by the hooligans, many also shouting slogans including "France for the French". They also called the officer a "filthy black".
The officer fled inside a McDonald's restaurant and tried to disperse his attackers with a tear gas canister.
But when they kept coming at him, the officer opened fire with his pistol. One youth, in his 20s, died instantly while another was seriously injured.
Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv celebrating scoring a goal again Paris St Germain at the Parc des Princes
Police officers patrolling Paris's outer suburbs have increasingly become the target of violent attacks, with Muslim and black gangs often the perpetrators.
Far-Right groups have retaliated in kind, with many of them centred on Paris St Germain, a club with a notoriously racist fan base.
Insults are frequently directed at black players, and white gangs often look to fight their black and Arab counterparts during and after games.
Referring to Thursday's tragedy, a police union official, Luc Poignant, said: "The gang was shouting 'filthy Jew' and when they saw our colleague, who comes from the Caribbean, they also yelled 'filthy black, we're going to get you'."
Mr Sarkozy yesterday held crisis talks with the French Professional Football League.
Its president, Frederic Thiriez, said: "I am shattered by what happened after the game. We must get to the bottom of this and find ways to ensure this never happens again."
The Paris mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, said: "The seriousness of this event confirms the absolute necessity of fighting racism and anti-Semitism among PSG fans."
Three weeks of rioting which broke out in the suburbs of major cities, including Paris and Lyon, a year ago were blamed on the alienation felt by Islamic and other immigrants youths.
telegraph.co.uk
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Attacked black policeman kills football thug
By Peter Allen in Paris
25/11/2006
UEFA Cup
Paris St Germain 2-4 Hapoel Tel Aviv
The growing menace of racism in France was laid bare yesterday after a black policeman shot dead a white football fan as an anti-Semitic gang attacked a Jewish football supporter.
Anti-Semitism rears its head in France again: Broken glass is removed from a McDonald’s outlet after a policeman shot dead a football fan in Paris
The plain-clothed officer, of Afro-Caribbean descent, had been set upon by a gang of Paris St Germain supporters as he tried to rescue an Israeli fan outside the Parc des Princes late on Thursday.
The attack followed PSG's Uefa Cup 4-2 defeat against the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, during which hooligans had chanted a tirade of racist and anti-Semitic slogans.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister and presidential hopeful noted for his hard-line law and order policies, said the officer had been trying to rescue an Israeli supporter confronted by the 150-strong mob shouting "death to the Jew". The officer was, in turn, attacked by the hooligans, many also shouting slogans including "France for the French". They also called the officer a "filthy black".
The officer fled inside a McDonald's restaurant and tried to disperse his attackers with a tear gas canister.
But when they kept coming at him, the officer opened fire with his pistol. One youth, in his 20s, died instantly while another was seriously injured.
Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv celebrating scoring a goal again Paris St Germain at the Parc des Princes
Police officers patrolling Paris's outer suburbs have increasingly become the target of violent attacks, with Muslim and black gangs often the perpetrators.
Far-Right groups have retaliated in kind, with many of them centred on Paris St Germain, a club with a notoriously racist fan base.
Insults are frequently directed at black players, and white gangs often look to fight their black and Arab counterparts during and after games.
Referring to Thursday's tragedy, a police union official, Luc Poignant, said: "The gang was shouting 'filthy Jew' and when they saw our colleague, who comes from the Caribbean, they also yelled 'filthy black, we're going to get you'."
Mr Sarkozy yesterday held crisis talks with the French Professional Football League.
Its president, Frederic Thiriez, said: "I am shattered by what happened after the game. We must get to the bottom of this and find ways to ensure this never happens again."
The Paris mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, said: "The seriousness of this event confirms the absolute necessity of fighting racism and anti-Semitism among PSG fans."
Three weeks of rioting which broke out in the suburbs of major cities, including Paris and Lyon, a year ago were blamed on the alienation felt by Islamic and other immigrants youths.
telegraph.co.uk
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