French cops raid Islamist groups

PARIS, Oct 19: French police on Monday swooped on radical Islamist groups three days after the beheading of a teacher who had shown his pupils satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
The raids came a day after tens of thousands of people took part in rallies countrywide to honour teacher Samuel Paty and defend freedom of expression, including the right to show cartoons regarded by many Muslims as insulting.
Gerald Darmanin said the swoop on Islamist networks was designed to send a message that "enemies of the Republic" would not enjoy "a minute's respite".
Sources close to the operation told AFP that individuals targeted in the police operation were known to the police for radical preachings or hate speech on social media.   -AFP