Monday, Jul 15, 2002
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By Vaiju Naravane
A man is pinned down by police after he fired a shot during the Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris on Sunday.
Police said a 25-year-old gunman, know to them as "belonging to neo-Nazi and hooligan movements'' fired one shot from a .22 calibre rifle before he was overpowered. An investigation into the security lapse that allowed him to get so close to the presidential motorcade has been ordered. The man was carrying his rifle in a guitar case. He opened the case and drew out his rifle amid packed crowds lining the famous avenue of Champs Elysees just as Mr. Chirac passed by in an open motorcade. The assailant fired one shot at close range. The crowd raised an alarm and the man was quickly disarmed and arrested by police personnel. No one was injured and the military parade continued unaffected. This was Mr. Chirac's eighth national parade since he was elected President in 1995, but his first after his dramatic re-election in May 2002. The July 14 celebrations mark the fall of the Bastille prison in Paris at the start of the French Revolution in 1789. Over 4,000 soldiers took part in this year's parade amid heightened fears of terrorist attacks. Security has been stepped up following fresh revelations about terrorist cells with links to Al-Qaeda and other organisations operating in the country. Initial fears that an Islamic militant could have carried out the assassination attempt were quickly put to rest when the police issued a statement confirming the arrest of a man "belonging to neo-Nazi and hooligan movements''. AP reports: Mr. Chirac on Sunday urged reform of France's asylum laws, quicker processing of asylum requests and stronger efforts against smugglers of illegal immigrants. In a wide-ranging televised interview on Bastille Day, he also said the military needed strengthening and expressed support for the building of a second aircraft carrier. In the interview, Mr. Chirac was not asked about and did not mention the attempt on his life hours earlier. — AP
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