The French Perspective On 2 Desperate Days Following 'Hebdo' Shooting

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And for French perspective on the events going on now in and near Paris, we turn to Sylvie Rottman. She's the senior producer and the head of planning for the French television channel France 24. Good morning.

SYLVIE ROTTMAN: Good morning.

MONTAGNE: Now, Sylvie, it has been two days since the shooting at the Charlie Hebdo offices. And as you and I speak, there is a second standoff at a grocery - a kosher grocery in Paris, yet another, also, link to the killing of a policewoman yesterday. What is the mood? What are people in Paris saying today?

ROTTMAN: Well, they're still probably very sad, first of all because this - from the events that took place a couple of days ago, the initial shooting at the Charlie Hebdo magazine. And I do think that sadness remains a prevailing feeling.

But other than that, this is all quite surreal for everyone. I don't think anyone has seen - anyone who's an adult - most people who are adults have never seen anything like that happen. And things are proceeding at such breakneck speed that it's hard to keep up. And people are watching this unfold, I think, in slight shock and disbelief. I don't think at this stage that people have disrupted their daily life because of it, and it's hard to tell if they will or would. People are mostly calm, I think, and going about their daily lives. But it's unbelievable, and I think people are in shock and people are also - some people might also be, I think, angry over what's happening. The degree of the violence that's taking place...

MONTAGNE: Well, and just briefly, that anger - people are concerned perhaps that that anger might turn into a backlash against Muslims. We just have a few seconds here, sorry. But do you think - do see that happening? Is there germ of that change?

ROTTMAN: It's hard to tell because right now I think things are quite up in the air. It feels a little bit like we're in the fog of war. But it does feel like the fog of war a little bit. And I think there's a lot of fear in some communities that it is going backfire, and that's why we're witnessing appeals for unity and appeals to not castigate anyone and to not confuse communities for certain individuals.

MONTAGNE: Some of those appeals coming from President Francois Hollande earlier today. Sylvie, thank you very much for joining us.

ROTTMAN: My pleasure.

MONTAGNE: Sylvie Rottman is with French television channel France 24. And we are following events in France throughout the morning and will be throughout the day, so stay with us. You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News, covering the latest events. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.