Attacker stabs, injures Paris mayor at City Hall; investigators say

PARIS (AP) _ The man suspected of stabbing Paris' openly gay mayor early Sunday told interrogators he did it because he disliked politicians and homosexuals, judicial officials said. <br><br>Bertrand

Sunday, October 6th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PARIS (AP) _ The man suspected of stabbing Paris' openly gay mayor early Sunday told interrogators he did it because he disliked politicians and homosexuals, judicial officials said.

Bertrand Delanoe is expected to remain hospitalized for at least week to recover from the single stab wound to his abdomen. His office had initially described the injury as minor. He had surgery for three hours after being rushed to Pitie-Salpetriere hospital.

The unidentified suspect, who was taken into custody immediately, confessed to the stabbing, said judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the 39-year-old attacker told them that he was a devout Muslim and acted out of opposition to politicians and gays. Investigators believe the suspect isn't linked to any Islamic fundamentalist parties.

The suspect, who has been hospitalized previously for psychiatric treatment, comes from one of the tough neighborhoods in the Paris suburbs.

Delanoe, 52, was attending a lively, all-night party at city hall as part of Paris' first-ever ``Sleepless Night'' festival when he was attacked. Dozens of museums and tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, were open all night, and concerts and art exhibits were held throughout the French capital.

Nearly 2,000 people had gathered at City Hall for a concert of electronic lounge music and other festivities. Delanoe moved freely among the crowd without any security guards when he was stabbed in the Salle des Fetes, a lavish ballroom decorated with red and green lights and palm trees.

Mayoral spokesman David Lamblois said security was kept to a minimum because Delanoe wanted to maintain a relaxed atmosphere. Visitors milled about and were able to enter and leave the building without being searched or questioned.

Delanoe never lost consciousness and even gave the order for the party to continue as he was being taken to the hospital, Lamblois said.

Segolene Royal, a former Socialist family minister who visited the mayor at the hospital, said he suffered injuries to several organs and said he would be hospitalized for at least eight days.

The attack was the second in less than three months against a prominent French politician. On July 14, a man allegedly tried to shoot President Jacques Chirac as he reviewed troops at the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris.

In a statement, Chirac said he was outraged by the stabbing and hoped for a rapid recovery.

An unknown Socialist politician when he took office in spring 2001, Delanoe has used his term to improve the city's quality of life.

One of a handful of openly gay politicians in France, Delanoe disclosed his homosexuality on a television program in 1999, and the revelation caused few waves.

He is known for splashy gestures, including turning the banks of the Seine River into a beach, replete with sand, palm trees and parasols. The ``Sleepless Night'' festival was another innovation from his office.