[ad_1]
FFrance paid its last respects to teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed by a terrorist on Wednesday night. At a funeral at the Sorbonne University, President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the educator in front of the coffin as a hero and as the “face of the republic” who had turned hundreds of young people into responsible citizens.
“The Islamists killed him because they want our future. But with quiet heroes like him, you will never have them, ”Macron said. Paty was assassinated “because she chose to do an apprenticeship, because she taught young people duties and freedoms.” He was one of those teachers you will never forget, who not only impart knowledge, but “can guide an existence.” He taught respect for others, greatness of thought, civilization, and tolerance. He also read the Koran.
“Many are shocked, hurt and angry”
For his speech, Macron had deliberately chosen the centuries-old Sorbonne as a place for teaching, science, and critical thinking; He spoke in the courtyard of the university next to the statues of Victor Hugo and Louis Pasteur. His speech was thus also a hymn to the profession of educator. Many teachers in France feel that they are not sufficiently recognized; That begins with the payment and extends to the general appreciation. Macron stressed that teachers are the basis of the republic, civilization and, therefore, freedom. He promised to continue Paty’s work and to support and protect the teachers with all his might.
Paris: The lights of the Eiffel Tower are turned off during a nationwide memorial service for the murdered teacher Samuel Paty.
:
Image: dpa
On the other hand, Macron did not speak of his measures against terrorism. This is not the time. He simply said that “the necessary actions have been decided, they will be hardened and we will take them to the end.”
The brutal murder of the teacher shook France. Because with the attack on a teacher, the school as a central component of the republic and therefore the French nation was hit. Citizens of the small town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, where Paty was beheaded by a young Chechen, held a silent march Tuesday night. Thousands prepared to march quietly from their school to the “Plaza de la Libertad”.
Hardly anyone had brought banners or posters. Some had discreetly written the word “Liberté” or “Je suis Samuel” on their mask. The only acoustic signal was the applause of the citizens, which spontaneously spread like a wave over the funeral procession. Only the mayor of the city of 35,000 inhabitants, Laurent Brosse, gave a short speech at the Place de la Liberté. After that, many citizens resisted. “Many are shocked, hurt and angry,” Brosse said.
Immediate measures announced
It is true that not all the French felt the mood of mourning. More and more critical voices are being heard expressing weariness at the numerous attacks in recent years. “No one has won a war with flowers and candles,” said François-Xavier Bellamy, a MEP who led the conservative bourgeois camp in recent European elections. These tones can now also be heard in the left field.
President Macron and his administration have announced a series of emergency measures with which they want to reject any allegation of weakness. On Tuesday, the president personally chaired a meeting of a state unit “against Islam and community isolation (CLIR)” in the Paris suburb of Bobigny. These institutions, which often bring together different authorities and administrative units, exist in large numbers in France.
