The real issue isn't being armed or unarmed, or having bear spray or being a kung fu person who can kill a man with your little finger. The issue is situational awareness. I doubt either of those women in Marseilles had a clue some wack job was going to stab them until the knife was cutting into them.
Yeah, but imagine if I'd been stood there with bearspray when all those people helping the cop in Edmonton ran away as the nutjob started stabbing him.
It couldn't have hurt...