145 people with syringes at the music festival in France

145 people with syringes at the music festival in France

The French police arrested 12 people on Sunday after 145 people had been poked during a nationwide street music festival, as the Interior Ministry of France announced.

incidents during the festival

The attacks occurred throughout France, with the Paris police confirmed at least 13 cases in the capital. The Ministry of the Interior indicated that it remains unclear whether the cases of "needle attacks" - in which attackers usually inject the arm, leg or buttocks with syringes - with drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB that can lead to the fact that those affected are disoriented and susceptible to attacks.

Investigations and reactions of the authorities

"The Ministry takes these incidents very seriously," said a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry to CNN on Monday. "Toxicological tests are carried out and the investigation is carried out."

fête de la Musique and safety concerns

Millions of people celebrated the nationwide Fête de la Musique at the weekend, whereby the authorities described the crowds in Paris as “unprecedented”. Laurent Nuñez, the police chief of Paris, reported in an interview with the French broadcaster Cnews from three to four times as many people in the city as usual.

criticism of social media

Before the festival, feminist influencers such as Abrège Soeur had warned that calls were spread on social media to attack women with syringes. "These incidents are extremely serious," said Nuñez to CNEWS and described online calls to inject women as "completely idiotic."

studies on the incidents

in Paris was initiated after three people, including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, reported in separate incidents in the city about needles base injuries. All three stated that they felt uncomfortable afterwards, as the CNN partner BFMTV reported.

other arrests and incidents