The synagogue of La Grande-Motte (Hérault) was hit by a fire on Saturday morning, August 24. Two vehicles were on fire in front of the synagogue and one of them exploded. The two doors of the synagogue also caught fire and a municipal police officer was injured. “Everything is being done to find the perpetrator of this terrorist act”, declared Emmanuel Macron on XThe President of the Republic also addressed his thoughts to the “faithful of the synagogue of La Grande-Motte” and to all “the Jews of our country”, adding that “The fight against anti-Semitism is a constant battle.” Follow our live stream.
Investigation opened for attempted terrorist assassinations. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) has taken charge of the facts. It recalls that “investigations are actively continuing in order to allow the arrest of the perpetrator(s) of the acts.” Earlier in the day, Gérald Darmanin had mentioned an act “manifestly criminal”.
The suspect was carrying a Palestinian flag. A man was filmed by the video surveillance cameras of the synagogue of La Grande-Motte (Hérault) in front of the religious building. “Initial investigations indicate that the perpetrator was carrying a Palestinian flag and a weapon.”announces the Pnat to France Télévisions.
Protection in front of Jewish places of worship in France strengthened. Gérald Darmanin, the resigning Minister of the Interior, asks all the prefects of France to “immediately strengthen the static presence of law enforcement in front of Jewish places of worship”at the request of the president, Beauvau specifies. The Minister of the Interior is expected on site in the afternoon, as is Gabriel Attal, the resigning Prime Minister.
The police officer’s life is not in danger. A municipal police officer was injured and taken to the emergency room of the Montpellier University Hospital following this fire, reports France Blue Herault. His life is not in danger, franceinfo learned from a source close to the investigation. The police officer had gone to the scene and was injured “by the blast caused by the explosion”, specifies the Pnat. Five people were present in the synagogue at the time of the incident, including the rabbi, but none were injured, according to the same source.
Four fires started. Firefighters were called around 8:30 a.m. to intervene on two vehicles on fire in front of the synagogue, according to information from franceinfo. One of the two vehicles exploded, probably due to the presence of a gas bottle, according to this source. The two doors of the synagogue caught fire. There were four separate fires, again according to information from franceinfo. According to the city’s mayor, Stéphan Rossignol, the city’s surveillance cameras captured images of an individual setting fire to the vehicles in front of the synagogue.
