Lighted candles and flowers placed on the square in front of the Madeleine church in Paris in tribute to Paul, the 27-year-old cyclist killed Tuesday evening by a motorist on Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris, a few steps away. 200 people gathered, at the call of three associations defending cyclists, notably Paris en Selle, of which the victim was an active member. This gathering of support for the young cyclist’s loved ones was also intended to be a means of denounce road violence.
The president of Paris in the saddle, Anne Monarché, very moved, praised the memory of Paul, who “fought for a peaceful city, so that we could cycle safely”. “He is no longer here to defend this vision, but we are here to continue and I am counting on you, I am counting on us so that this motorized violence disappears”launched the activist.
Tuesday evening shortly before 6 p.m., the young man was fatally struck by a motorist, who according to initial testimonies, intentionally drove into him after a dispute. “The first witnesses to have perceived a voluntary attitude of the driver When the car moved towards the cyclist, a murder investigation was entrusted to the 1st judicial police district.specifies to France Bleu Paris the Paris prosecutor’s office. The 52-year-old driver was arrested and taken into police custody.
This tragedy aroused very strong emotion in the cycling community and numerous reactions from elected officials in the city of Paris. “It is unacceptable to die today in Paris, at the age of 27, while cycling. These acts must be severely condemned”declared Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of the capital.
The young man had been involved for many years in the Paris en Selle association. “He made the development of the bicycle a lifelong commitment”writes in a press release the town of Saint-Ouen, where he lived. He notably wrote the white paper for the city’s pedestrians and cyclists, “which has largely inspired public action in the deployment of soft mobility on a city scale”.
