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| Interior minister calls for unity as France reels from Nice attack | Interior minister calls for unity as France reels from Nice attack |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Some of the hundreds of bouquets that line the Promenade des Anglais have already begun to wilt in the July heat of the French Riviera. But fresh replacements arrive by the minute, carried by locals and tourists, couples, dog walkers, cyclists and skateboarders. Many bear cards with the same, simple message: “They wanted to gaze up at heaven, not go there.” | Some of the hundreds of bouquets that line the Promenade des Anglais have already begun to wilt in the July heat of the French Riviera. But fresh replacements arrive by the minute, carried by locals and tourists, couples, dog walkers, cyclists and skateboarders. Many bear cards with the same, simple message: “They wanted to gaze up at heaven, not go there.” |
| Although the promenade has reopened and the caravan of TV crews has started to move on, neither Nice nor France has yet to awaken from the nightmare of Thursday night, when a truck sped along the thoroughfare, killing 84 people and injuring more than 200. For a country already bitterly schooled in terror, this was both something dreadful and something utterly, appallingly novel. | Although the promenade has reopened and the caravan of TV crews has started to move on, neither Nice nor France has yet to awaken from the nightmare of Thursday night, when a truck sped along the thoroughfare, killing 84 people and injuring more than 200. For a country already bitterly schooled in terror, this was both something dreadful and something utterly, appallingly novel. |
| Related: Who were the Nice attack victims? | Related: Who were the Nice attack victims? |
| On Saturday, hours after Islamic State (Isis) claimed responsibility for the latest deadly assault on French soil, the country’s interior minister appealed for calm and unity as France reeled from what he termed “a new kind of terror attack”. However, no evidence was presented to support the claim that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had been acting in Isis’s name. | |
| Bernard Cazeneuve said initial indications suggested the truck’s driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, had been “radicalised very quickly” before the attack. | Bernard Cazeneuve said initial indications suggested the truck’s driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, had been “radicalised very quickly” before the attack. |
| Although the 31-year-old Tunisian, who held a French residency permit, was known to police through a string of minor fracas over the past six years, the minister confirmed he had not crossed the radar of the intelligence services. | Although the 31-year-old Tunisian, who held a French residency permit, was known to police through a string of minor fracas over the past six years, the minister confirmed he had not crossed the radar of the intelligence services. |
| Cazeneuve also noted the carnage on the Promenade des Anglais bore none of the hallmarks of previous attacks such as the assault on the offices of the magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery in Paris or the coordinated attacks on Paris last November. | Cazeneuve also noted the carnage on the Promenade des Anglais bore none of the hallmarks of previous attacks such as the assault on the offices of the magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery in Paris or the coordinated attacks on Paris last November. |
| “There were no heavy weapons or explosives used,” he said. “As a result, the trauma induced by this extremely violent crime has deeply shocked the French people and underlined the massive difficulty of the struggle against terrorism. | “There were no heavy weapons or explosives used,” he said. “As a result, the trauma induced by this extremely violent crime has deeply shocked the French people and underlined the massive difficulty of the struggle against terrorism. |
| “We are confronted by individuals who, vulnerable to messages from [Isis], carry out extremely violent acts without necessarily having taken part in combat or received training.” | “We are confronted by individuals who, vulnerable to messages from [Isis], carry out extremely violent acts without necessarily having taken part in combat or received training.” |
| In response to questions as to how the truck had managed to get on to the promenade when there had been police cars blocking access, Cazeneuve said the vehicle had “very violently” mounted the pavement to force its way into the pedestrianised area. | In response to questions as to how the truck had managed to get on to the promenade when there had been police cars blocking access, Cazeneuve said the vehicle had “very violently” mounted the pavement to force its way into the pedestrianised area. |
| Related: The Nice attack reminds us that France is at war | Christine Ockrent | Related: The Nice attack reminds us that France is at war | Christine Ockrent |
| As the French right criticised the government’s security operation in the wake of the attack, and a political debate erupted over whether anything could have been done to prevent the carnage, Cazeneuve leapt to the defence of the police and intelligence services. Since the beginning of the year, he said, 160 people connected with terror plots had been arrested, thwarting “a significant number of attacks” – including some that could have targeted the Euro 2016 football tournament. | As the French right criticised the government’s security operation in the wake of the attack, and a political debate erupted over whether anything could have been done to prevent the carnage, Cazeneuve leapt to the defence of the police and intelligence services. Since the beginning of the year, he said, 160 people connected with terror plots had been arrested, thwarting “a significant number of attacks” – including some that could have targeted the Euro 2016 football tournament. |
| He batted away the political controversy, saying that events in Nice demanded national unity rather than attempts at political point scoring. | He batted away the political controversy, saying that events in Nice demanded national unity rather than attempts at political point scoring. |
| “The terrorists are trying to divide us,” he said. “If we allow ourselves to become divided, we are helping them achieve their aims.” | “The terrorists are trying to divide us,” he said. “If we allow ourselves to become divided, we are helping them achieve their aims.” |
| Thirty-six hours after the Nice attacks, two Isis-affiliated media outlets claimed that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had been a “soldier” acting on its behalf. In a statement, the news agency Amaq said: “The person who carried out the operation in Nice, France, to run down people was one of the soldiers of Islamic State. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target nationals of states that are part of the coalition fighting Islamic State.” | Thirty-six hours after the Nice attacks, two Isis-affiliated media outlets claimed that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had been a “soldier” acting on its behalf. In a statement, the news agency Amaq said: “The person who carried out the operation in Nice, France, to run down people was one of the soldiers of Islamic State. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target nationals of states that are part of the coalition fighting Islamic State.” |
| Not long after, the Isis-operated radio station Bayan claimed that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was a soldier who had completed a “new, special operation using a truck”. It warned western nations that no security measures would spare them “from the blows of the mujahideen”. | Not long after, the Isis-operated radio station Bayan claimed that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was a soldier who had completed a “new, special operation using a truck”. It warned western nations that no security measures would spare them “from the blows of the mujahideen”. |
| Despite the claims, however, relatives and neighbours of Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, who was eventually shot dead by police, have said he showed no obvious interest in religion. | Despite the claims, however, relatives and neighbours of Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, who was eventually shot dead by police, have said he showed no obvious interest in religion. |
| His father, Monthir Bouhlel, said his son had undergone psychiatric treatment in the past and was unstable and sometimes violent. His sister, Rabeb Bouhel, told Reuters: “My brother had psychological problems and we have given the police documents showing that he had been seeing psychologists for several years.” | His father, Monthir Bouhlel, said his son had undergone psychiatric treatment in the past and was unstable and sometimes violent. His sister, Rabeb Bouhel, told Reuters: “My brother had psychological problems and we have given the police documents showing that he had been seeing psychologists for several years.” |
| Related: As horror strikes again, all eyes are on how France reacts | Related: As horror strikes again, all eyes are on how France reacts |
| According to judicial sources, five people have been arrested since the attack. Agence France-Presse reported that one of the people being held was arrested on Friday, while three others were detained on Saturday morning. The driver’s estranged wife was also being held. | According to judicial sources, five people have been arrested since the attack. Agence France-Presse reported that one of the people being held was arrested on Friday, while three others were detained on Saturday morning. The driver’s estranged wife was also being held. |
| The killing began shortly before 11pm on Thursday when the truck sped down the promenade and began mowing down people. According to the authorities, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel managed to breach the barriers by driving the truck on to the pavement. | The killing began shortly before 11pm on Thursday when the truck sped down the promenade and began mowing down people. According to the authorities, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel managed to breach the barriers by driving the truck on to the pavement. |
| What followed looked, in the words of one Italian tourist, “like the apocalypse”. | What followed looked, in the words of one Italian tourist, “like the apocalypse”. |
| By Saturday morning, as France began three days of national mourning and President François Hollande held a security meeting with ministers, police and intelligence officers, the promenade had reopened. | By Saturday morning, as France began three days of national mourning and President François Hollande held a security meeting with ministers, police and intelligence officers, the promenade had reopened. |
| As some walked and jogged beside the beach, others continued to leave floral tributes at the metal barriers lining the promenade. | As some walked and jogged beside the beach, others continued to leave floral tributes at the metal barriers lining the promenade. |
| At the Fondation Lenval, Nice children’s hospital, where 30 young patients were taken on Thursday night, some were still fighting for their lives. | At the Fondation Lenval, Nice children’s hospital, where 30 young patients were taken on Thursday night, some were still fighting for their lives. |
| A spokeswoman said that five children were in a critical condition, one in a stable condition and three on respirators. She said the youngest child receiving treatment was just six months old, adding that most of the children were being treated for head injuries and fractures. An eight-year-old child, thought to be foreign, was still awaiting identification on Saturday afternoon. | A spokeswoman said that five children were in a critical condition, one in a stable condition and three on respirators. She said the youngest child receiving treatment was just six months old, adding that most of the children were being treated for head injuries and fractures. An eight-year-old child, thought to be foreign, was still awaiting identification on Saturday afternoon. |
| The hospital has set up a counselling centre staffed by four psychologists to help people deal with the trauma of Thursday’s attack, so far treating more than 50 families. | The hospital has set up a counselling centre staffed by four psychologists to help people deal with the trauma of Thursday’s attack, so far treating more than 50 families. |
| “We’re used to treating a lot of children, but the difficult thing with this is the psychological aspect,” said the spokeswoman. | “We’re used to treating a lot of children, but the difficult thing with this is the psychological aspect,” said the spokeswoman. |
| Madame Bourmault, who lives two minutes from the promenade, was still struggling to come to terms with the atrocity as she returned to the scene on Friday night with a bunch of flowers in her hand and tears in her eyes. | Madame Bourmault, who lives two minutes from the promenade, was still struggling to come to terms with the atrocity as she returned to the scene on Friday night with a bunch of flowers in her hand and tears in her eyes. |
| “I can’t sleep and I can’t breathe. It’s just horrible,” she said. “What else can you say?” | “I can’t sleep and I can’t breathe. It’s just horrible,” she said. “What else can you say?” |
| She had been down by the firework display on Thursday night and seen a sudden tide of people screaming and running away. “In a fraction of a second, the music stopped and there was a lot of screaming. Everyone was running and no one was helping.” | She had been down by the firework display on Thursday night and seen a sudden tide of people screaming and running away. “In a fraction of a second, the music stopped and there was a lot of screaming. Everyone was running and no one was helping.” |
| Despite the scenes she witnessed, she refused to blame the authorities for what had happened. What else, she asked, could the police have done? | Despite the scenes she witnessed, she refused to blame the authorities for what had happened. What else, she asked, could the police have done? |
| “You can’t put a policeman behind everyone - and there are a lot of crazy people in this world.” | “You can’t put a policeman behind everyone - and there are a lot of crazy people in this world.” |