French police raid Islamist groups after teacher’s beheading

French police swoop on radical Islamist groups three days after the beheading of a teacher who had shown his pupils satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

The raids come a day after tens of thousands of people took part in rallies countrywide to honor teacher Samuel Paty and defend freedom of expression, including the right to show cartoons regarded by many Muslims as insulting.

Gerald Darmanin says the swoop on Islamist networks was designed to send a message that “enemies of the Republic” would not enjoy “a minute’s respite.”

Sources close to the operation tell AFP that individuals targeted in the police operation were known to the police for radical preachings or hate speech on social media.

Darmanin says the government would also tighten the noose on organizations with links to Islamist networks, including the high-profile Anti-Islamophobia Collective.

— AFP