France reciprocates the support give by Denmark after Charlie Hebdo Shooting

France’s interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Sunday (February 15) offered his condolences to Danish justice minister Mette Frederiksen near the site of the shooting at an event promoting freedom of speech at a Copenhagen arts cafe.

A man died in the Saturday (February 14) shooting at a cafe hosting Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has received death threats for depicting the Prophet Mohammad. Vilks was unhurt. A security guard died in a separate attack overnight at a nearby synagogue.

Frederiksen thanked Cazeneuve and the French ambassador to Denmark, Francois Zimeray, for their support.

“We are glad for all the solidarity we have felt from the world, like you did,” she said.

The shootings bore similarities to an assault in Paris in January on the offices of weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Frederiksen praised the police effort in the aftermath of the attacks.

Danish police had launched a massive manhunt with helicopters roaring overhead and an array of armored vehicles on the usually peaceful streets of Copenhagen.

Police said they shot dead the suspect near a train station in Norrebro, an area in Copenhagen not far from the sites of the two attacks. Police said he had fired on officers. Some local media said police raided an apartment in the area.

Cazeneuve, who arrived in Copenhagen on Sunday, said he wished to reciprocate the support offered by Denmark after the Charlie Hebdo attacks,

“I wanted to be here because you were so kind when we were in front of this tragedy at the beginning of January in Paris. You were here very quickly and I wanted to be here this morning with the ambassador to say I was sorry in front of such a dreadful event.” he said.

The two ministers agreed Saturday’s shootings were a sign of the danger posed by militant attacks in Europe.

Frederiksen told Danish TV that she was “very thankful” for the support offered by France.

“It’s very important for all of us in Denmark for all of us to feel the solidarity and the sympathy from the rest of the world. Now we have had these accidents in Belgium, in France and now in Denmark. It’s important for all of us to stick together and stand up for our democratic values so it is very important. I can say on behalf of the whole population that we are very thankful,” she told a reporter from Denmark’s TV2.