Supporters of PKK terror group turn Paris into battlefield

By Selen Temizer and Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - Supporters of the PKK terror group, who used Friday’s gun attack in the French capital as a pretext, turned Paris into a battlefield on Saturday.

Having gathered at the central Place de la Republique at around 2:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT), thousands of supporters of the terror group then marched to the Boulevard du Temple chanting pro-PKK slogans and carrying posters of the terror group’s so-called leaders.

They then ripped off the paving stones and threw them at the police, nearby houses, and shops. The attackers also turned the scene into a battlefield with fireworks and sparklers, destroying the bus stops.

The intervention by police at the scene was rather limited and they occasionally used tear gas against the attackers.

On Friday, a 69-year-old gunman in Paris opened fire, killing at least three people and injuring three others, according to local media reports.

Suspected racist motivations behind the attack will be investigated, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.

Following the incident, supporters of the PKK terror organization wounded at least six police officers in Paris on Friday, according to local media.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. Though normally officially banned, the terrorist group also has a presence in numerous European countries.