A terrifying moment when a French playground is attacked by a knife as a frightened woman tries to protect a child

One young man hit the knife man with his backpack before chasing him around the park. kufiya, the suspect later ran away from the police, and three police officers grabbed him and pinned him to the ground.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned «an act of absolute cowardice» as the French National Assembly honored the memory of the victims with a moment of silence.

“Children and adults are fighting for their lives. The nation is in shock. Our thoughts go out to them and their families, as well as to the emergency services at the scene,” Macron said.

The French anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office did not look into the case, assuming that the authorities are not currently consider it to be related to terrorism.

The attack took place near the Pont des Amours, the «bridge of lovers», in the Jardins de l'Europe park in the center of Annecy, which is called the «pearl of the French Alps».

The park is on the banks of Lake Annecy, close to the town hall, and has a school and several playgrounds.

Anthony Le Tallec, a former Liverpool footballer, witnessed the aftermath of a horrific attack. while jogging in the park.

Mr Le Tallec, who is now the coach of Annecy Football Club, said he was running along the lake when he “saw about ten people running in the opposite direction.”< /p>

“I asked them what was going on, and someone told me, run, run, there is someone hitting people,” said the former striker.

“I saw the cops chasing the guy in front of me about five or ten meters. behind him, trying to catch him,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I saw children at the end of the lake, several children on the ground. A few injured children, it's terrible.»

Three police officers knocked the suspect to the ground.

Earlier, a man with a knife “jumped out”, “started screaming, approached the carriages and started repeatedly stabbing children,” witness Ferdinand told BFMTV.

Anthony, another witness, said that the attack took place on a playground where there are “boats, pedal boats and countless tourists.”

A man with a knife stabbed an elderly woman and her husband after realizing that he was surrounded by police officers,” said a witness.

“I told (the police) to shoot him,” Anthony said.

About 37 people in shock received psychological help after witnessing the attack.

Officials offer psychological support to witnesses

An employee working at the pontoons on Lake Annecy said she had seen the suspect before.

She told Le Dauphiné Libéré that the suspect «has been sitting on a bench at Le Pâquier every day for the past two months.»

She said he didn't talk but never showed aggression until today . .

The attacker was granted refugee status in Sweden, meaning he was legally in France under EU law. He also applied for asylum in France, according to local media.

According to Le Figaro, the suspect has been living in Sweden legally since 2013 and is married to a Swedish woman with whom he has a child.

p>

p>

Far-right groups called for anti-immigration protests tonight in Annecy, according to the left-wing newspaper Liberation.