France Heightens Security Measures Against Terrorist Attack

On October 14, the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles were immediately evacuated after written bomb threats were discovered on site. Both the museum and the former royal palace were searched thoroughly by the police, although no actual bombs were found. The site lockdowns are one example of how the French government has continued to increase its security measures against potential terrorist threats after the stabbing of Dominique Bernard, a French literature teacher employed at a school in Arras. Officials detained a Russian immigrant and former student of Bernard, Mohammed M., whom they suspected to be an Islamist extremist responsible for the attack based on his phone calls and cell records. According to PBS, the French government has “deployed up to 7,000 soldiers across France” to ensure safety at sensitive locations, and has urged citizens to “stay united.”