The most sensitive sites must be secured by “a static presence at the arrival and departure times of the faithful”, requested the Minister of the Interior on Monday.
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The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, asked the prefects, Monday April 29, to strengthen security near churches during the festivals of Ascension (May 9) and Pentecost (May 19), invoking the “very high level of terrorist threat”. “The persistence of strong tensions at the international level”notably the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, imposes “maintaining great vigilance with regard to Christian demonstrations and places of worship”adds the Minister of the Interior, in a telegram consulted by franceinfo.
Prefects are invited to pay particular attention to services and gatherings “which traditionally attract a large audience or which are the subject of particular sensitivity”. The most sensitive sites must be secured by “a static presence at the arrival and departure times of the faithful”with the support “systematic” soldiers from the Sentinelle force, continues Gérald Darmanin.
The Vigipirate system was raised to its maximum “emergency attack” level on March 24, after the Moscow attack claimed by the Islamic State group. A week later, the Minister of the Interior reported the mobilization of 13,500 members of the police in order to “protect the offices” Catholics and Protestants for Easter.
