France elections : Policeman and suspected gunman shot dead in Paris 'terror attack'

Policeman and suspected gunman shot dead in Paris 'terror attack'

One policeman has been shot dead and two others wounded in central Paris, French police say,
with their suspected attacker killed by security forces.

A lone gunman opened fire before being killed as he fled the scene, police say.

The Champs-Elysees was sealed off.

President Francois Hollande said that he was convinced the attack was "terrorist-related".
So-called Islamic State (IS) said that one of its "fighters" had carried out the attack.

Islamist militancy is a major issue in the polls after recent mass attacks claimed by IS,
with 238 people killed in jihadist attacks in France since 2015, according to data from AFP news agency.

Several candidates in Sunday's presidential election have ended their campaigns early as a mark of respect,
with the centre-right's François Fillon calling on others to halt theirs too.

"On the face of it, the officers were deliberately targeted," Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39662315

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/208x117/p050n8fl.jpg

Eyewitness : "I heard two or three shots... then there was just panic all around."


"An attacker with an automatic weapon opened fire on police on Paris' iconic Champs-Elysees on Thursday night,
killing one officer and seriously wounding two others before police shot and killed him."
The Islamic State group quickly claimed responsibility for the attack.

AP was told by police spokeswoman the targeted officers were guarding the area near
the Franklin Roosevelt subway station at the center of the shopping avenue popular with tourists.

'Obama founded' group suspected behind this terror attack:

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ISIS Claims Responsibility in Paris Police Shooting Attack
Slate Magazine -14 hours ago

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No post-attack polls released yet, will be interesting to see

Pretty much guarantees Le Pen the win. I wouldn't be surprised if another incident happens before sunday.

"The 2017 presidential election was the first in the history of the Fifth Republic in which a sitting president did not seek a second term.
On 1 December 2016, incumbent president François Hollande, acknowledging his low approval ratings, announced he would not seek a second term."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French...election,_2017

France election: Marine Le Pen sees Trump-like boost in support, but victory far from assured

"With one day before France officially heads to the polls for the first round of its presidential elections, candidate Marine Le Pen --
who has built her campaign on the populist anger that helped President Trump get elected -- is seeing a similar boost in support."

An opinion poll released Friday shows her nearly neck-and-neck with centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron, a jump in the past week.
Analysts point out that the latest attack in Paris, which killed a police officer and left three other people wounded Thursday,
may have contributed to her surge in support.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04...m-assured.html

Fillon is the most pro-liberty of the four candidates I've researched. The European populists, with some exceptions, want to make government bigger.

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Originally Posted by Tywysog Cymru

Fillon is the most pro-liberty of the four candidates I've researched. The European populists, with some exceptions, want to make government bigger.

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Does Fillon want to exit the superstate EU?

French election live: Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron leading the race as polls open

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...ts-exit-polls/

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Originally Posted by devil21

Does Fillon want to exit the superstate EU?

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He thinks it can be reformed. Good luck with that, though.

"Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen are set to face each other in a May 7 runoff for the French presidency
after coming first and second in Sunday's first round of voting, early projections have indicated.

In a race that was too close to call up to the last minute, Mr Macron, a pro-European Union ex-banker and economy minister
who founded his own party only a year ago, was projected to get 24 percent.

Ms Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigration and anti-EU National Front, was given 22 percent by early pollsters."

Pollster Harris gave both Mr Fillon and far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon 20 percent, which will mean their elimination from the race.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...ts-exit-polls/


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Mr Macron leaves after voting Sunday with his wife Brigitte, a chocolate maker heiress and some 24 years his senior
– a relationship that has intrigued the French public.

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Originally Posted by devil21

Does Fillon want to exit the superstate EU?

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I don't think so, but I don't think France would vote to leave anyway. He does want to cut taxes and spending, while Marine Le Pen doesn't.

French citizens living in London are being forced to wait hours to vote in today’s presidential election,
with people blasting organisers for “discouraging” voters.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londo...-a3521536.html

50,000 French citizens were expected to vote in UK - an increase in election registrations to vote there since Brexit, btw

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8qzivbzy.jpg
French nationals line up to vote at the French Embassy in London April 23, 2017

"The selection of centrist Marcon vs. far-right populist Le Pen" for the May 7 finals . . .
"presents voters with the starkest possible choice between two diametrically opposed visions of the EU's future and France's place in it."

"- a battle between Marcon's optimistic vision of a tolerant France and a united Europe with open borders against
Le Pen's darker, inward-looking "French-first" platform that calls for closed borders, tougher security, less immigration, and a return
to the French franc."
Colorado Daily -Worldview 04.24.17

In just over 10 months, the world has seen the Brexit vote, the Trump election and now this unlikely matchup.
Marcon formed his own political party a little over a year ago (?)

But in the USA we had months of Hilly v. Trump, in two weeks French voters decide (?)