How did Maximilien Robespierre respond to the September Massacres?

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Eighteenth-century painted portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre wearing a brown striped coat, high collar, and white cravat, set against a plain background. — Maximilien Robespierre One of the leading figures of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre.

During the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre responded to the September Massacres of 1792 by exonerating the mob responsible for the killings.1

While the moderate Girondins in the National Convention blamed radical leaders like Robespierre for the violence, he defended the actions of the Parisian crowds who had executed approximately 1,200 prisoners, including many priests and nobles, amid fears of a counterrevolutionary plot. Shortly after these events, on September 5, 1792, the people of Paris elected Robespierre to lead their delegation to the National Convention.21