1986 Paris police station attack

1986 Paris police station attack
Part of terrorism in France
Quai de Gesvres in 2012, street of the police station
LocationQuai de Gesvres, Paris, France
Coordinates48°51′25″N 2°20′55″E / 48.8570°N 2.3486°E / 48.8570; 2.3486
Date9 July 1986
4:00 pm
WeaponsIED
Deaths1
Injured22
PerpetratorAction directe

The far-left Direct Action (AD) terror group detonated a bomb at the headquarters of the Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB) police division in Paris, France, on 9 July 1986. It killed the division's chief inspector, Marcel Basdevant, and injured 22 other officers. The group claimed responsibility two days later.[1][2]

The bomb is thought to have contained 10 kg of explosives and was planted in a restroom on the third floor.[citation needed] It caused major damage to the building, which was still new.[3] Maxime Frérot, a member of Action Directe's Lyon branch who was already wanted for 3 murders including 2 police officers, was arrested in 1989 for the attack. He was eventually[when?] sentenced to serve 23 years in prison.[4][5]

On the same day, the West German Red Army Faction (which was allied with Direct Action) assassinated Karl Heinz Beckurts in Bavaria.[6]

  1. ^ Universalis, Encyclopædia. "6-21 juillet 1986 - France. Série d'attentats à Paris revendiqués par Action directe - Événement - Encyclopædia Universalis". Encyclopædia Universalis.
  2. ^ "Les trente ans de bagarre de la brigade antibanditisme". 30 January 2005.
  3. ^ "la BRB... 40 ans de belles affaires. Mais pas que..." 16 May 2016.
  4. ^ "HISTOIRE : Chronique culturelle du 9 juillet". 9 July 2017.
  5. ^ "30 ans de grands bandits".
  6. ^ Ciment, James (10 March 2015). World Terrorism: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient Times to the Post-9/11 Era: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient Times to the Post-9/11 Era. Routledge. ISBN 9781317451518 – via Google Books.