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PARIS • Tens of thousands of people rallied in cities across France Sunday in tribute to a teacher beheaded in an Islamist attack that stunned a nation already buffeted by terrorist atrocities.
The demonstrations in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities came as the government of Emmanuel Macron, the president, ordered the expulsion of 231 foreign nationals flagged as Islamist radicals by security services.
France’s interior ministry, responsible for expelling foreigners, was not available to confirm the information, which had been initially reported by Europe 1.
France defines extremists as “people who, engaged in a process of radicalization, are likely to want to go abroad to join terrorist groups or take part in terrorist activities.”
The move came amid demands for tougher action from right- and left-wing leaders after an 18-year-old Chechen refugee decapitated Samuel Paty, 47.
The history teacher received death threats after discussing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad with his pupils in a class about freedom of expression.
Jean Castex, the prime minister, joined politicians from different parties at the rally in Place de la Republique in Paris, where 1.5 million people gathered in 2015 after Islamist gunmen massacred 12 people at the office of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. The attackers said they were responding to its publication of the controversial cartoons.
The crowd observed a minute’s silence and sang the national anthem. Castex tweeted: “You do not scare us. We are not afraid. You will not divide us. We are France!”
Macron chaired a crisis meeting of ministers and security chiefs last night to discuss action to prevent attacks.
Earlier this month, he outlined plans to curb the spread of radical Islamism and “Islamic separatism” by restricting the activities of religious, cultural and sporting groups, and banning home-schooling.
Liliane Cohen, 48, who attended the rally in Paris with a Muslim friend, said Paty “was teaching his pupils about freedom of expression using the topical issue of the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Those who object to the cartoons are free to make their views heard but the horror must stop.”
People at the events on Sunday wore masks against COVID-19 and carried signs such as “Teaching yes, bleeding no” or “I am Charlie” in a reference to satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, whose offices were attacked in a mass killing five years ago.
Paty had been the target of an angry campaign on social media before he was killed. Castex said in an interview in Journal du Dimanche newspaper that the government is working on a strategy to better protect teachers from threats.
The teenager who beheaded the teacher had approached pupils in the street and asked them to point out his victim, anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said on Saturday.
Police shot dead the 18- year- old attacker, who was born in Russia, minutes after the slaying in broad daylight in Conflans- Sainte- Honorine on Friday.
A photograph of the teacher's body, accompanied by a message claiming responsibility posted on Twitter, was discovered on the assailant's phone, found near his body. Ricard said the Twitter account belonged to the attacker.
The murder was the second terrorist attack in the Paris area since the trial began last month of 14 alleged accomplices of the Charlie Hebdo attackers.
The attacker had been living in the town of Evreux northwest of Paris, and was not previously known to the intelligence services, Ricard told a news conference.
His parents, grandfather and 17-year-old brother were among 11 people arrested on the weekend.