- Title: Witnesses to Notre Dame attack say they scrambled after shots heard
- Date: 6th June 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 6, 2017) (REUTERS) NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL TWO TOWERS OF CATHEDRAL, SOUND OF CHURCH BELLS RINGING WOMAN IN COAT WALKING PAST SOLDIERS AND POLICE WOMAN ON PHONE, AS OTHERS CROSS ROAD POLICE STANDING NEAR BRIDGE BEHIND POLICE LINE, PASSERS-BY STANDING ON OTHER SIDE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST KAIA ALEXANDER SAYING: "Well, we were walking towards, we were about to actually go into the Notre Dame, and then we heard the gunshots so we kind of ran the other direction, and then our hotel's right there, so we were trying to get in. But we were sort of interested to learn more about what happened I guess." POLICE STANDING WITH GUN (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST KAIA ALEXANDER SAYING (IN RESPONSE TO QUESTION OF WHETHER THEY WERE SCARED): "No, not until that. That was just kind of startling." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST ANNA LEVY SAYING: "It was just scary because you didn't know what was happening. People were just running. We were at the front and people came running towards us, and so you know, you had to keep running, but we didn't know what the, if it was a gunshot, what the cause of it was, but now that it seems to have cleared, it's better." MAN ASKING POLICE IF HE COULD PASS, SAYING "I have a meeting." MAN CROSSING OVER POLICE LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BOSTON RESIDENT VISITING PARIS, DAVID STOKLO, WHO WAS IN BOSTON MARATHON ATTACK, SAYING: "It's a real pity. This happens nearly every week now. And I hope that this has nothing to do with the election in England. I think that all the attention we're giving to these events are making them seem more important, and the more importance we give them, the worse they become." SECURITY FOR TRANSPORT PEOPLE WALKING PAST POLICE VANS WOMAN WITH BICYCLE APPROACHING POLICE POLICE WALKING ON BRIDGE NEAR VANS PEOPLE STANDING AT QUAI NEXT TO RIVER SOLDIERS STANDING NEAR BRIDGE POLICE TALKING TO PASSERS-BY FROM OTHER SIDE OF POLICE LINE POLICE STANDING GUARD ON STREET ARMED POLICE PASSERS-BY SPEAKING TO POLICE
- Embargoed: 20th June 2017 18:28
- Keywords: police security hammer Syria attack Notre Dame
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0016K55WEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Witnesses said they ran away from the direction of the Notre Dame Cathedral, when they heard shots on Tuesday (June 6), when an assailant wounded one officer before he was shot and wounded by other officers.
A man armed with a hammer shouted "this is for Syria" before attacking police officers on Tuesday outside France's Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the interior minister said.
France is under a state of emergency after a wave of militant attacks since early 2015 that have killed more than 230 people across the country. Soldiers patrol its streets alongside police to guard tourist sites, government buildings and events.
Hundreds of tourists were inside the cathedral when the attacker struck.
A tourist from Boston, who was also present in the 2013 marathon bombing, said it was "a pity" that such attacks "happen nearly every week," but that giving it too much attention is making it worse.
Both France and Britain have suffered a spate of militant attacks in recent months. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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