French President Emmanuel Macron has said the teacher murdered in a Parisian suburb on Friday was “assassinated because he taught his students freedom of expression.” The killing is being investigated by anti-terrorism police.
“One of our fellow citizens was assassinated because he taught his students freedom of expression,” Macron said after he arrived to the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, where the attack took place. “Our compatriot was the victim of a characteristic Islamist terrorist attack.”
The middle school teacher was attacked earlier on Friday in the street of the commune, some 28 kilometers northwest of Paris. The attacker allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is Great,” as he assaulted the teacher with a knife. Media reports said the teacher was either “decapitated” or stabbed in the throat, succumbing to his injuries.