after a threat from Daesh, security “considerably reinforced” in Paris, announces Darmanin – Libération

The Islamic State shared this Tuesday, April 9, a poster showing the four stadiums hosting the quarter-finals of the Champions League this week accompanied by the slogan “Kill them all”. Consequently, the Minister of the Interior requested a strengthening of the security system for the PSG match this Wednesday.

The worry grows. On the eve of the Champions League quarter-final first leg, between PSG and FC Barcelona on Wednesday April 10 at 8:45 p.m. at the Parc des Princes, security is “considerably” reinforced in Paris. “The police chief, with whom I spoke very early this morning, has considerably strengthened security resources,” declared Gérald Darmanin on Tuesday, April 9, referring to a “clear threat publicly mentioned by the Islamic State.”

The General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) “is particularly hard at work to provide preventive or, if necessary, curative intelligence,” he added. Gérald Darmanin spoke in Paris during a trip to the river brigade of the police headquarters, which will be particularly involved in securing the opening ceremony on the Seine of the Paris Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11) .

“IS threatened the quarter-finals of the Champions League (first legs scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday), not specifically in France, via one of its communications agencies,” specifies a source close to the matter. According to several foreign newspapers, a media outlet responsible for relaying Islamic State (IS) communications, Al Azaim Foundation, shared a Daesh poster. We can see a man there, hooded, with a heavy weapon in his hand. In the background, the four stadiums which will host the quarter-finals of the Champions League this Tuesday and Wednesday: the Emirates Stadium (Arsenal stadium in London), the Parc des princes (PSG in Paris), the Metropolitano Arena (Atletico in Madrid) and Santiago Bernabeu (Real in Madrid). The poster is accompanied by a phrase: “Kill them all.”

“All matches” will take place assures UEFA

Gérald Darmanin confirmed to the media that he had seen “a communication from the Islamic State which particularly targets stadiums” and which is nevertheless “not new”. “This morning I asked the Director General of Internal Security to communicate the information we had to the other services of the other countries which are hosting the quarter-finals,” said the minister.

The IS “is responsible for the last eight attacks that France has experienced,” he stressed, while calling not to “sink into what terrorist propaganda is trying to do, that is say trying to sow fear, terror, everywhere.” In France, the Vigipirate system was already raised on March 24 to its maximum level, “emergency attack”, two days after the attack near Moscow which left 144 dead before being claimed by ISIS.

In a press release, UEFA said it was “informed” of threats weighing on the matches, but specified that “all matches” would take place, with “suitable security measures”. “Who is not concerned or concerned by terrorist threats?, declared PSG coach Luis Enrique during a press conference. I hope this is something we can control, that it will just be threats and nothing will happen.”

In Spain, the authorities have also strengthened their security system for the matches scheduled in Madrid on Tuesday (Real-Manchester City) and Wednesday (Atlético-Dortmund). Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegria spoke of “more than 2,000 agents” mobilized “to guarantee total security”. The attack alert level is currently 4 on a maximum scale of 5 in Spain.

Updated at 4:25 p.m.: addition of the system in Spain and the UEFA press release.