A man yelling “Allahu akbar!” has been accused of cutting down a Christmas tree installed by a French town hall earlier this week and arrested by local police.
The felling of the Christmas tree took place on Wednesday in Lormont, a town located in the suburbs of the city of Bordeaux.
The alleged vandal, said to be a resident of the neighbourhood, arrived at the location of the tree on the rue Georges-Jérôme-Duret in the afternoon at around 1 p.m.
The 39-year-old managed to discreetly bring several tools with him to accomplish his deed, and shouted “Allahu akbar!” as he cut the tree down, Sud Ouest reports.
Police were alerted to the man’s activities and arrived on the scene a short time later to arrest him. While it is unknown what motivated the man’s alleged crime, police suggested that he appeared as though he was not fully mentally competent.
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