One minute silence at the EU Parliament after Charlie Hebdo attack

Dimitrios Papadimoulis: It is sad and disgraceful that the Greek Prime Minister tries to use the attack for political purposes

The European Parliament honoured on Thursday the 12 people killed in the attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris by observing a minute of silence. Meanwhile, the EU flew flags at half-mast, while hundreds of people – MEPs EU workers and other people – gathered in the rain in Brussels outside of the parliament, while some of them carried banners reading: “Je suis Charlie” (i.e. I am Charlie). The President of the EU Parliament Martin Schulz expressed his solidarity and sent his condolences towards the families of the victims, as well as the French people.

            On behalf of SYRIZA, Dimitrios Papadimoulis said “The murderousattack against Charlie Hebdo is an act of fascism. The solidarity towards the French people, the arrest and the severe punishment of the criminals are matters of democracy.”

Regarding the attempt of Antonis Samaras to exploit the attack for political purposes, ahead of the Greek general elections, the Vice President of the EU Parliament added: “Efforts to take advantage of thisattack and play dirty political games in Greece, using a right-wingagenda, as the Greek Prime Minister does, are disgraceful and sad.”