Armed Man in Combat Gear Sparks Fear at Haute-Savoie Mosque

In Thyez (Haute-Savoie), while they were in front of their mosque, Muslim worshippers saw a masked and armed man approaching them. A video documenting these events that took place on May 24th has been widely shared on social media. For many internet users, this is an "intimidation" of the faithful. The media Nouvelle Aube, the French version of the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak, goes far in denouncing the "deafening silence" of the authorities, questioning: "how long will this contempt for Muslim places of worship continue?"

However, it turned out that the man, dressed in camouflage gear with his face concealed, was not carrying a weapon. He is a paintball player who was on his way to a paintball game, but primarily wanted to smoke. Quickly checked by the gendarmes, he stated that he was going to a gathering and had approached the worshippers to ask for a lighter to smoke. According to the prosecutor, the individual shows no "malicious intent" or "Islamophobic intention". "No charges have (therefore) been brought against" this paintball player.

https://x.com/nouvelleaubefr/status/1927367942842335592