If knives were outlawed, only Parisians would have knives. Be Seeing You,
Chris
Posted on 10/05/2002 7:39:52 PM PDT by John Lenin
Just heard it on Fox News. No other details
Attacker stabs, injures Paris mayor at City Hall
Sun Oct 6,11:15 AM ET
By PIERRE-ANTOINE SOUCHARD, Associated Press Writer
PARIS - The man suspected of stabbing Paris' openly gay mayor on Sunday has a history of psychiatric problems and says he acted out of dislike for politicians and homosexuals, judicial officials said.
Mayor Bertrand Delanoe was expected to remain hospitalized for at least a week to recover from a single stab wound to his abdomen. His office had initially described the injury as minor.
An attacker wielding a knife lunged at the mayor Sunday during a lavish all-night party at City Hall that was open to the public. Delanoe was rushed to Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris, where he underwent three hours of surgery.
The suspect, who was taken into custody immediately, has confessed to the stabbing, said judicial officials, who asked that their names not be used. He said his act was unplanned.
The 39-year-old man, who has been hospitalized in the past for psychiatric treatment, told investigators that he was a devout Muslim and was acting out of opposition to politicians and gays.
Investigators believe the suspect has no link to Islamic fundamentalist parties, judicial officials said. The suspect, whose name was not released, comes from one of the tough neighborhoods in the Paris suburbs.
Delanoe, 52, was attending a lively, all-night party at city hall as part of Paris' first-ever "Sleepless Night" festival. Dozens of museums and tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, were open all night, and concerts and artist exhibits were being held around the French capital.
About 2,000 people had gathered at City Hall for a concert of electronic lounge music and other festivities. Delanoe was circulating freely among the crowd when he was stabbed in the "Salle des Fetes," a lavish ballroom decorated with red and green lights and palm trees. Two live bands played as hundreds of people sipped champagne.
Mayoral spokesman David Lamblois said security was kept to a minimum because Delanoe wanted to maintain a relaxed atmosphere. Visitors milled about and were able to enter and leave the building without being searched or questioned. The mayor was not accompanied by security guards, and one of Delanoe's associates apprehended the suspect.
Delanoe never lost consciousness and even gave the order for the party to continue as he was being taken to the hospital, Lamblois said.
Firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene minutes after Delanoe was attacked and raced him to the hospital, which was placed under tight security.
Segolene Royal, a former Socialist family minister who visited the mayor at the hospital, said he suffered injuries to several organs and added that he was to be hospitalized for at least eight days.
The attack was the second in less than three months against a prominent French politician. On July 14, a man allegedly tried to shoot President Jacques Chirac as he was reviewing troops at the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris.
In a statement released by the presidential palace hours after the stabbing, Chirac said he was outraged.
The president "expresses his solidarity with the Paris mayor, his wishes for a rapid recovery and his indignation in the face of this insane gesture," the statement said. Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin sent a similar message of sympathy and support to Delanoe.
Delanoe was elected mayor in 2001, and has used his term to make good on a campaign pledge to improve the city's quality of life.
Delanoe has become known for splashy gestures like his widely popular "Paris Beach" project last summer. Palm trees, parasols and sand were placed at the banks of the Seine River, creating a mock beach that drew thousands of sunbathers. The "Sleepless Night" festival was another innovation from his office.
One of a handful of openly gay politicians in France, Delanoe disclosed his homosexuality on a television program in 1999. The revelation did not cause many waves, as he was still a relative unknown despite a long career in public life, often at the heart of the Socialist political machine.
(parf-ad-ps)
Bump!
Leni
If knives were outlawed, only Parisians would have knives. Be Seeing You,
Chris
Gay, Socialist Mayors, no baths, hairy armpits, bad adittudes, weak military, and a bunch of those peaceful Muslims!
Yew doant spik "Inspector Clouseau"?
Da dum,da dum,da dum,de dum,de dum....
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