French president Francois Hollande said today that France is “at war” against terrorism.
Speaking in a televised address, the president said he wants a “large coalition” working together against so-called ‘Islamic State’ militants to destroy a group that threatens the whole world and “commits massacres” in the Middle East.
He said the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has left to help French military operations in Syria against ‘IS’.
Mr Hollande said France will not “cede to fear” and urged his
compatriot to go back out to cafes and museums and live life to its fullest.
He said “what would our country be without its cafes, concerts, sport events, museums?”
Mr Hollande was speaking to mayors from around the country after the nation’s deadliest violence in decades last week.
The French leader said “life must resume in full”, and promised extra security to ensure that museums can reopen and “our tourists can be welcomed”.
Mr Hollande said any places where people are “glorifying” terrorism will be shut down.
A bill to extend France’s state of emergency for three months includes a measure that enables authorities to close “any association or gathering” – which notably includes mosques and community groups – that would encourage people to carry out terrorist acts.
The Bill is to be debated by both houses of parliament on Thursday and Friday and is expected to be voted on by the end of the week.
French authorities have sent out a bulletin to police across Europe asking them to watch out for a Citroen Xsara car that could be carrying Salah Abdeslam, the fugitive wanted in the Paris attacks, a Spanish security official said.
Spain’s El Espanol digital publication first reported the bulletin on Wednesday, publishing a document with the car’s description and naming Abdeslam.
It was sent by Spanish authorities to border control police in the north-eastern Catalonia region next to France.
The security official confirmed the document was authentic but said the bulletin was sent to authorities across Europe and not only to Spain.
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