New evidence is starting to emerge about the recent attack in Nice, France on Thursday. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack which killed 84 people after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a truck through a Bastille Day celebration.
The statement came from the group’s radio bulletin al-Bayan. The group stated Bouhlel was a soldier of theirs and conveyed a “quality operation”:
“The Crusader countries should know that even with their mobilization and military capabilities … they will never be able to prevent the attacks of the mujahideen who will continue to attack inside their houses.”
While Bouhlel is said to have no religious affiliation to any group, it has been part of ISIS’ MO to claim responsibility for attacks such as the one in Nice. Details about Bouhlel’s background are starting to surface with Vocativ reporting he had mental health issues.
The attack in Nice is bringing into question how the public deals with getting their news from the media. Being the first to report a news story was usually relegated competing TV networks, but it seems in Europe social media is starting to control the narrative.
Many social media users took to the Internet with the hashtag campaign #CSAcoupeztout, in order to protest French TV channel’s sometimes gruesome coverage of the attack. Some TV channels in France are showing slow-motion replays of the attack which is causing consternation and led to the social media campaign. Pubcaster France 2 apologized and is even facing sanctions from France’s media watchdog Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisual.
As media channels are coming under fire for their coverage of the Nice attack, French authorities are cracking down on social media users for reporting false rumors. Some social media users are reporting of false hostage situations, fake attacks in other cities and even a hoax that the Eiffel Tower was under attack. The French government has urged social media user to only report reliable information.
The media and social media frenzy surrounding the Nice attacks seems to have contributed to a wave of false rumors, which don’t necessarily help the situation.