DENMARK-SHOOTING/FREDERIKSEN-CAZENEUVE MORE French interior minister visits scenes of Copenhagen shootings
Record ID:
324465
DENMARK-SHOOTING/FREDERIKSEN-CAZENEUVE MORE French interior minister visits scenes of Copenhagen shootings
- Title: DENMARK-SHOOTING/FREDERIKSEN-CAZENEUVE MORE French interior minister visits scenes of Copenhagen shootings
- Date: 15th February 2015
- Summary: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (FEBRUARY 15, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CAFE WHERE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE BULLET HOLES IN WINDOW OF CAFE VARIOUS OF FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK FRANCOIS ZIMERAY (LEFT), DANISH JUSTICE MINISTER METTE FREDERIKSEN (MIDDLE) AND INTERIOR MINISTER BERNARD CAZENEUVE (RIGHT) WITH OFFICIALS OUTSIDE CAFE CAFE SIGN VARIOUS OF ZIMERAY, FREDERIKSEN AND CAZENEUVE AND OFFICIALS WALKING NEAR CAFE FREDERIKSEN GREETING CAZENEUVE AND ZIMERAY CAZENEUVE LAYING FLOWERS AT SCENE FLOWERS ON GROUND CAZENEUVE AND ZIMERAY STANDING BY FLOWERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER, BERNARD CAZENEUVE, SAYING: "In any case we can see very well that these attacks were about people personifying freedom of speech, personifying the public authority and Danes of the Jewish faith. So we can see the similarities with the targets aimed at in Paris. And this is the reason why we stand together through this ordeal, next to our Danish friends, to express our solidarity, to underline the importance of the risk that still exists within the European Union and our determination to fight terrorism together within the European Union and by mobilising all existing resources to achieve that. Cooperation of our polices, cooperation of our intelligence services, solidarity with others at time of hardship and the shared will for Europe to get new tools to be even more efficient in the fight against terrorism." CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK, FRANCOIS ZIMERAY, SAYING: "I don't know if there are strong words but this is simply what one feels when you hear bullets and see their impact. I was very impressed today to be able to calmly see what I went through yesterday, in these few seconds. In these moments you think it's all over. You don't have any feelings. You don't think of anything but try and understand what's happening. And what I understood then was that the same event was taking place as in Paris and probably - if the Danish police didn't succeed in.... Five policemen wounded - didn't succeed in their job, I wouldn't be here today." POLICE OFFICER/CAZENEUVE AND ZIMERAY LEAVING SYNAGOGUE WHERE SECOND GUN ATTACK HAPPENED
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Denmark
- Country: Denmark
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABOD0EDS6EIWNCGFS8BZ9ATQ61
- Story Text: French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Sunday (February 15) visited the cafe and synagogue where a gunman killed two civilians and wounded five police in the two separate attacks on Saturday (February 14).
The gunman believed to have been the attacker was a Danish-born 22-year-old known to police because of past violence, gang-related activities and possession of weapons, police said in a statement. Police also said they had identified the man, who was killed in an early-morning shootout, but did not release his name.
Accompanied by Danish justice minister Mette Frederiksen, Cazeneuve laid flowers near the cafe which had been hosting Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has received death threats for depicting the Prophet Mohammad. Vilks was unhurt.
He told reporters it was important for European nations to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.
"We can see very well that these attacks were about people personifying freedom of speech, personifying the public authority and Danes of the Jewish faith. So we can see the similarities with the targets aimed at in Paris. And this is the reason why we stand together through this ordeal, next to our Danish friends, to express our solidarity, to underline the importance of the risk that still exists within the European Union and our determination to fight terrorism together within the European Union and by mobilising all existing resources to achieve that," Cazeneuve said during his visit.
"Cooperation of our polices, cooperation of our intelligence services, solidarity with others at time of hardship and the shared will for Europe to get new tools to be even more efficient in the fight against terrorism," he added.
Also attending the event, entitled "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression" was French ambassador Francois Zimeray who joined Cazeneuve on Sunday.
At the event Zimeray had praised Denmark's support for freedom of speech following the assault in Paris in January on the offices of weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Witnesses said the envoy had barely finished his introduction when up to 40 shots rang out, outside the venue, as an attacker sprayed the cafe's windows with bullets.
Security experts said they considered Vilks, the main speaker, to have been the target.
Zimeray told reporters that he thought his life was over during the attack.
"I don't know if there are strong words but this is simply what one feels when you hear bullets and see their impact. I was very impressed today to be able to calmly see what I went through yesterday, in these few seconds. In these moments you think it's all over. You don't have any feelings. You don't think of anything but try and understand what's happening. And what I understood then was that the same event was taking place as in Paris and probably - if the Danish police didn't succeed in.... Five policemen wounded - didn't succeed in their job, I wouldn't be here today," he said.
Cazeneuve and Zimeray also visited the synagogue where a security guard died in a separate attack overnight.
Danish police launched a massive manhunt and in the morning they shot dead the suspect near a train station in Norrebro, an area in Copenhagen not far from the sites of the two attacks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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