Jyllands-Posten ups security after Paris attack
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Published: 7 Jan, 2015 CET.
Updated: Thu 8 Jan 2015 12:20 CET
Newspaper's offices in Copenhagen and Viby have implemented extra security measures in light of the attack on the French magazine that reprinted Jyllands-Posten's notorious Muhammad drawings.
The Danish newspaper that caused a global stir with a series of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad stepped up security on Wednesday after the deadly attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
Jyllands-Posten informed its staff by e-mail about the unspecified security measures after the armed attack on the Charlie Hebdo in Paris, in which at least 12 were killed.
"Surveillance and the level of security in and around our headquarters in Copenhagen and in [the west Danish city of] Viby has been increased," the email said, according to various media reports.
"We are following closely the situation in connection with the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris earlier today."
Jyllands-Posten's Copenhagen headquarters also houses the offices of newspapers Politiken and Ekstra Bladet.
Christine Blach, a spokeswoman for the newspaper, refused to comment on the security measures when contacted by AFP.
Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons on September 30, 2005, which caused angry and sometimes deadly protests worldwide. The cartoons were reprinted by Charlie Hebdo in 2006.
Kurt Westergaard, the artist behind the most controversial of the 12 cartoons, was targeted in a failed murder attempt at his home in 2010 but told media on Wednesday that he did not fear for his safety thanks to police protection.
He told Danish public radio that the Paris attack was "scary and horrible" and he praised Charlie Hebdo's staff for holding "all authoritarian forces" to account regardless of whether "they're Islamists, Catholics or politicians".
Several Danish politicians, including PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt, have condemned the Paris attacks.
The Danish security and intelligence service PET said in a statement that it was monitoring the situation carefully.
"For the time being, the situation does not warrant a change in the assessment of the terrorism threat against Denmark, which remains serious," it said in a statement.
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The Danish newspaper that caused a global stir with a series of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad stepped up security on Wednesday after the deadly attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
Jyllands-Posten informed its staff by e-mail about the unspecified security measures after the armed attack on the Charlie Hebdo in Paris, in which at least 12 were killed.
"Surveillance and the level of security in and around our headquarters in Copenhagen and in [the west Danish city of] Viby has been increased," the email said, according to various media reports.
"We are following closely the situation in connection with the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris earlier today."
Jyllands-Posten's Copenhagen headquarters also houses the offices of newspapers Politiken and Ekstra Bladet.
Christine Blach, a spokeswoman for the newspaper, refused to comment on the security measures when contacted by AFP.
Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons on September 30, 2005, which caused angry and sometimes deadly protests worldwide. The cartoons were reprinted by Charlie Hebdo in 2006.
Kurt Westergaard, the artist behind the most controversial of the 12 cartoons, was targeted in a failed murder attempt at his home in 2010 but told media on Wednesday that he did not fear for his safety thanks to police protection.
He told Danish public radio that the Paris attack was "scary and horrible" and he praised Charlie Hebdo's staff for holding "all authoritarian forces" to account regardless of whether "they're Islamists, Catholics or politicians".
Several Danish politicians, including PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt, have condemned the Paris attacks.
The Danish security and intelligence service PET said in a statement that it was monitoring the situation carefully.
"For the time being, the situation does not warrant a change in the assessment of the terrorism threat against Denmark, which remains serious," it said in a statement.
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