A ‘far-right’ terror suspect was planning to kill French President Emmanuel Macron and gays
Macron made reference to fake news stories (Getty)
Police have foiled a “far-right” terror suspect in France who had been planning to kill the French President as well as “blacks, Arabs, Jews and homosexuals”.
A 23-year-old was arrested in Paris on suspicion of planning to murder President Emmanuel Macron in a terror attack on Bastille Day, on 14 July.
The man was arrested after attempting to buy a Kalashnikov assault rifle online.
He spoke of “extreme” views and said he wanted to kill “blacks, Arabs, Jews and homosexuals”, according to a source in the prosecutor’s office.
According to reports, the man had threatened police officers with a kitchen knife.
He was arrested in the Argenteuil suburb on Saturday and the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed so on Monday.
Weapons were later found in the man’s car.
Preliminary charges faced by the man include planning an individual terrorist attack.
Paris prosecutor’s office Spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre said the plans found were vague and had not been finalised.
It appears the man was acting alone.
According to reports, the man was arrested after using an online video game chat room that he wanted to buy a rifle.
The posts were reported to counter-terrorism authorities.
Speaking to police in an interview on Monday, the suspect said he planned to make a political statement by assassinating Macron on the Champs-Elysees.
Macron will attend a military parade accompanied by US President Donald Trump on Bastille Day.
The French President will later travel to Nice for the anniversary of the Islamic extremist attack which killed 86 people in the city.
A former Danish MP this year branded France’s President Emmanuel Macron a “pretty little gay boy” in a live TV interview.
He was also described as a “gay psychopath” by a best-selling Russian newspaper.
Mr Macron took office in May after his victory over far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen.
The centrist leader was subjected to repeated homophobic smears on the campaign trail.
Macron, a supporter of LGBT rights, dedicated an entire section of his manifesto to LGBT issues.
