Syringe attacks mar France's Fête de la Musique summer street festival

French police have detained twelve suspects after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival, officials said Sunday.
Millions of people took to the streets across France on Saturday evening for the Fête de la Musique, with authorities reporting "unprecedented crowds" in Paris.
Before the party, posts on Snapchat and other social media had called for targeting women during the festivities.
The interior ministry said 145 victims reported being stabbed with needles across the country, with Paris police reporting 13 cases in the capital.
Officials did not specify if they were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB, used by attackers to render victims confused or unconscious and vulnerable to sexual assault.
"Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests," the ministry said.
In Paris, investigations were opened after three people including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old male, reported being stabbed in three different locations in Paris, prosecutors said.
All three reported that they felt unwell.
Twelve people suspected of being responsible for the stabbings were arrested across the country, the interior ministry said.
They are believed to have targeted around 50 victims, according to a police source.
Apart from those suspects, more than 370 people were detained during the festival on various charges, including nearly 90 people in Paris.
Fourteen participants in the festivities were seriously injured, including a 17-year-old who was hospitalised after being found sitting on the street with stab wounds to the lower abdomen.
Thirteen members of law enforcement were also injured.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Euronews

6 hours ago

• Euronews

Suicide bomber kills at least 22 in Greek Orthodox church in Syria

A suicide bomber in Syria on Sunday opened fire before detonating an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, local media reported. The attack took place inside the Mar Elias Church in Dweil'a, on the outskirts of Damascus, the Syrian capital. The church bombing was the first of its sort in Syria in years, and it comes amid Damascus's efforts to gain support from minorities under its de facto Islamist government. SANA, the Syrian state media outlet, shared a picture of the church's pews covered in blood and debris. Although no group immediately claimed responsibility on Sunday, the Syrian Interior Ministry said their preliminary investigation points to the extremist Islamic State group. The ministry said one gunman entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosive vest, echoing some witness testimonies. 'The security of places of worship is a red line,' he said, adding that IS and remaining members of the ousted Assad government are trying to destabilise Syria. Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack. 'This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,' he said on X. 'We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state's pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.' First responders and security personnel hurried to the church. One woman collapsed to her knees and started crying while terrified survivors cried out. Witnesses said the gunman, with his face covered, entered and fired at the people. When a crowd charged at him to remove him from the church, he detonated his explosives at the entrance. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties. Meanwhile, Syria's Social Affairs and Labour Minister Hind Kabawat, the country's Christian and female minister, said she met with the clergy at the church in the evening to express her condolences. Some 350 people were praying at the church, according to Father Fadi Ghattas, who said he saw at least 20 people killed with his own eyes. 'People were praying safely under the eyes of God,' he said. However, one church priest claimed there was a second gunman who shot at the church door before the other person detonated himself. Security forces and first responders rushed to the church. Panicked survivors wailed as one lady fell to her knees and burst into tears. A photo circulated by Syrian state media SANA showed the church's pews covered in debris and blood. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country.

France 24

8 hours ago

• France 24

Blood, destruction at Damascus church after suicide attack

In vain, she tried to convince Syrian security forces, who had cordoned off the area, to let her into the church, whose windows had been blown out and whose interior was covered with debris and damaged pews. "My son was praying in the church," she told AFP. "I tried to contact him but his mobile phone is off the air and I haven't been able to find him." "I'm afraid I won't hear his voice again," she said, breaking down. Panicked family members rushed to the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital searching for loved ones after news of the blast spread. The interior ministry said "a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group" entered the church, "opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt" in an unprecedented attack inside a Syrian church since war erupted more than 14 years ago. Authorities said more than 20 people were killed and dozens wounded. AFP correspondents saw blood and human remains inside the devastated church, whose panels holding religious icons were scattered on the ground and its central chandelier shattered. The blast sparked panic in the church, which had been full of worshippers including children and the elderly, an eyewitness said. 'Extremely afraid' Lawrence Maamari, who was among those inside, said that "someone entered from outside carrying a weapon" and began shooting, adding that people "tried to stop him before he blew himself up". Maamari said he helped move around 10 casualties from the scene, as local residents tried to help the wounded before ambulances and other emergency vehicles arrived. Other worshippers were shocked, unable to comprehend what had happened, their faces filled with grief. The force of the blast sent glass flying towards a shop opposite, where Ziad Helou, 40, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and threw himself to the ground in fear. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. Several churches were damaged during Syria's war, which erupted in 2011, or attacks were carried out in their vicinity, but none were directly hit by such an attack. The government of now-ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad long portrayed itself as a protector of minorities, who were targeted by numerous attacks during the conflict, many claimed by jihadist groups including IS. The attack is also the first of its kind since the new authorities took over after Assad's December ouster, while the international community has repeatedly called for minorities to be protected. "We were extremely afraid," said Helou. "I remember the explosions during the war," he added.

France 24

13 hours ago

• France 24

Syringe attacks mar France's Fête de la Musique summer street festival

French police have detained twelve suspects after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival, officials said Sunday. Millions of people took to the streets across France on Saturday evening for the Fête de la Musique, with authorities reporting "unprecedented crowds" in Paris. Before the party, posts on Snapchat and other social media had called for targeting women during the festivities. The interior ministry said 145 victims reported being stabbed with needles across the country, with Paris police reporting 13 cases in the capital. Officials did not specify if they were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB, used by attackers to render victims confused or unconscious and vulnerable to sexual assault. "Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests," the ministry said. In Paris, investigations were opened after three people including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old male, reported being stabbed in three different locations in Paris, prosecutors said. All three reported that they felt unwell. Twelve people suspected of being responsible for the stabbings were arrested across the country, the interior ministry said. They are believed to have targeted around 50 victims, according to a police source. Apart from those suspects, more than 370 people were detained during the festival on various charges, including nearly 90 people in Paris. Fourteen participants in the festivities were seriously injured, including a 17-year-old who was hospitalised after being found sitting on the street with stab wounds to the lower abdomen. Thirteen members of law enforcement were also injured.