Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin strongly condemned on Monday the attempted fire which targeted a church in Rillieux-La-Pape this weekend, calling it a "
shock against the Republic
", and promised police reinforcements in the metropolis of Lyon.
To read also: What is the arson of the church of Rillieux-la-Pape the name of?
"
We were shocked by the events that happened this weekend (...) To attack a place of worship is a shock against the Republic
", declared the minister during a brief trip to this city. popular in the Lyon area, where hooded men threw a burning vehicle against the church of Saint-Pierre Chanel on Saturday evening, without however managing to set the building on fire, thanks to the intervention of the firefighters.
On the spot, the minister wished to show his “
solidarity with the city, the Catholics, against all anti-religious acts
” and “
tell those who committed these hooded misdeeds that we will not let go
”.
"
All means are being used, including scientific means, to find the perpetrators of this unspeakable act
”.
"
Additional resources will be given to the Lyon area
", with "
staff reinforcements including in the towns of the area which are not Lyon
", he assured without providing figures.
He said he would receive the mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet "
in 10 days
" to discuss the issue.
In mid-September, the new mayor EELV had asked the minister for 200 additional police officers in his town to stem the decline in numbers.
During this brief trip, the minister met in particular with the administrator of the diocese of Lyon, Mgr Michel Dubost, and the imam of the Rillieux-La-Pape mosque, Aissa Aarfaoui, in particular to display "
solidarity republican
”and“
reassure the faithful regardless of their religion
”.
Read also: A church burnt down during riots near Lyon
After the attempted fire on Saturday, the mayor (LR) of Rillieux-la-Pape, Alexandre Vincendet, denounced the actions of “
a criminal commando
” having acted “
in a coordinated manner
” in several places in the city, where several parked vehicles were set on fire and pushed across the road.
In a statement, the president of the Council of Mosques of the Rhône, Kamel Kabtane, "
strongly condemned
" Monday the acts of this weekend, which follow an attempted fire in a mosque in mid-August in Bron, another city in the agglomeration.
"
By attacking places of worship or religions, it is indeed living together that we want to attack (...) We call on all believers to fight together this insidious form which tends to want to oppose the communities. to each other,
”he added.