Terror Events That Have Happened In The French City Of Nice

Anniversary of the attack in Nice, France 2016 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - French Prime Minister Jean Castex declared his country in a state of emergency after the attack in the City of Nice. This is not the first time this has happened in the city.

The incidents of the attacks that had taken place in Nice, mostly took place on holidays. In the case of the attack on 29 October, for example, it coincided with the commemoration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Meanwhile, at the scene of the incident in the Catholic Church, it was preparing to welcome the 'Toussaint' or All Saints Day which will be celebrated in three days.

The French Muslim Council condemned the attack and asked Muslims to cancel the Prophet's birthday celebrations. The cancellation was carried out as a sign of grief and solidarity with the victims and their loved ones.

The attack occurred while the French people were still mourning the death of Samuel Paty, a history teacher who was beheaded a few days ago. Since Paty's murder, French officials, supported by many ordinary citizens, have reaffirmed the right to display the caricature. The picture was then widely displayed as a form of solidarity.

But it actually angered many Muslims in the world. Movements to boycott French products have mushroomed in several countries. The boycotters said French President Emmanuel Macron was building an anti-Islam agenda.

Attacks

The events of October 29 are not the first to have happened in Nice. Terror attacks have been recorded many times since 2014.

Quoting France24, Friday 30 October, Nice is known as a popular holiday center among French and international tourists. On July 14, 2016, when thousands of people gathered to watch a fireworks display in Nice to celebrate Bastille Day, a Tunisian citizen accidentally drove a truck through the crowd and crashed the truck into the crowd.

About 86 people were killed and more than 400 injured. While thousands more are still trying to overcome the trauma they experienced four years later. Then the then President of France, François Hollande, declared the attack "undeniable terrorism in nature".

The affluent town on the Côte d'Azur has gradually gained an unpleasant reputation as a breeding ground for terrorists. There is little information about the terror attacks that were successfully thwarted by French intelligence and security services.

Two years back, there is a bomb terror incident targeting the Nice Carnival. A document by the Directorate General of Homeland Security (DGSI), France's domestic intelligence agency, said Ibrahim Boudina, a young Frenchman born in Algeria, planned to detonate bombs during the event which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Still in the same year, a terror plot linked to a group of radicals made headlines in the country. Reportedly there was a family of eleven people who went to Syria. The family's eldest son was reportedly on the intelligence radar for two years because of his radical religious views.

It's not just a terror attack, Nice has struggled against racism for a long time. The Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi questioned the right of those born in France to receive automatic citizenship. He referred to Muslims as the "fifth column" and described some immigrants as French only on paper.

Estrosies built Nice's reputation as a city tough on crime and made it one of the most advanced in France in terms of security. Nice has the highest proportion of surveillance cameras in all of France.

In terms of prevention, the city has formed a team of lawyers, psychologists and social workers aimed at preventing young people from leaving the country to wage jihad abroad. The city of Nice also has one of the few French programs in existence to help returning jihadists reintegrate into society.