‘I started to feel numb': Woman recalls syringe attack at French music festival
'Someone tapped my left forearm. I started to feel numb in the muscle, like you do when you get a vaccine. After about 30 minutes, the injection mark appeared,' she recalled to CNN.
Despite not knowing what she had been injected with – or who had done it – she said she 'didn't want to panic.'
Manon, 22, was one of nearly 150 people in France who reported being pricked with syringes during a nationwide street music festival at the weekend. According to the interior ministry, it remains unclear if date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB were used in the 'needle spiking' attacks, which took place across the country and appear to have involved multiple perpetrators.
Ahead of the festival, which drew crowds of millions of people to the streets, a feminist influencer had warned that calls had been made on social media for women to be targeted with syringes.
After spending 4 a.m. to 7.a.m on Sunday in the emergency room, Manon shared a video of her experience on TikTok.
'It was important for me to raise awareness, because I hadn't seen any testimonies from people who had been injected,' said Manon, who declined to give her last name for safety reasons.
'We had been told on social media to be careful, but I think people want to know more – how it happens, the symptoms, how it unfolds. It reassured me to talk about it, because at the time, I was completely alone.'
After she got home from the hospital, Manon filed a police report. 'It's important because if we're too lax, if we say, 'oh, others will file complaints', nothing ever changes. I told myself maybe it can have an impact.'
Since Saturday, French police have detained 14 men – aged between 19 and 44 and including both French citizens and foreign nationals, police spokeswoman Agathe Foucault told Radio France Tuesday – but have made no arrests in connection with the needle spikings.
'The police have not identified any perpetrators behind the injections, but the incidents are confirmed,' Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin told CNN affiliate BFMTV Tuesday.
The minister said authorities would also pursue those who had called for the attacks online.
'We are implementing a criminal policy to prosecute those responsible on social media for these very unhealthy injection games targeting women,' Darmanin said.
The feminist influencer Abrège Soeur, who before the festival had warned men on social media were planning such attacks, told CNN the perpetrators' 'objective isn't only to drug women. It's to instill fear in them.'
'When people start saying that there will be needle attacks, it spreads in the form of rumor –– some people mention it in group chats, others pick it up, it just gets amplified,' she said, adding, 'We need to help women feel safer.'
Manon, who faces a wait of three weeks for her toxicology results, said she had 'barely slept the last few days' – but she refuses to be cowed by her experience.
'The Fête de la Musique is meant to be a time of good vibes, music, dancing, having fun. Someone wanted to ruin that moment, to kill that spirit. I told myself I wasn't going to let it defeat me. I don't want to be sad or angry. I don't want to let them win.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
a few seconds ago
- Newsweek
ICE Arrests Influencer Tatiana Martinez During Live Stream
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Colombian immigrant TikTok influencer was detained by immigration agents after a confrontation outside her Los Angeles residence that unfolded live on social media. Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez was apprehended by federal authorities while streaming on TikTok from her Tesla on Friday, August 15, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek that Martinez was arrested because of a prior DUI conviction in Los Angeles. Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez was apprehended by federal authorities on Friday, August 15, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez was apprehended by federal authorities on Friday, August 15, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Twitter Why It Matters Immigration authorities have been under heightened scrutiny amid allegations of misconduct, with the agency at the center of the national debate over immigration policy. That spotlight has widened since President Donald Trump ordered a ramp-up in arrests to fulfill his pledge of mass deportations, prompting renewed questions about the legality and human impact of ICE's enforcement practices. The widespread deportation efforts have attracted resistance from immigrant rights advocates. What To Know Martinez—who entered the U.S. in 2022, according to DHS—posts under the handle @tatianamartinez_02. She has gained attention for documenting ICE operations, sharing "know your rights" guidance, and offering commentary on immigration enforcement. Footage circulating on social media appears to show Martinez seated in a Tesla when federal agents approached, opened the driver's side door, and pulled her onto the pavement. The video shows her being restrained face down with a covering placed over her head, and observers can be heard calling for medical assistance before she appears motionless. McLaughlin added that the arrest was further complicated when "an individual unlawfully towed a government police vehicle." Footage on social media shows a federal agent running after a vehicle after the tow truck removes the car. "He mocked and videotaped ICE officers chasing after him. Secretary Noem has been clear: Anyone who seeks to impede law enforcement will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," McLaughlin said. Following the incident, Martinez was transported to White Memorial Hospital and subsequently transferred to a downtown detention center, according to L.A. Taco. McLaughlin said Martinez reported shortness of breath during her arrest and was given medical treatment. The influencer, who has amassed more than 37,000 followers on TikTok, has been actively creating content that documents immigration enforcement since Trump directed his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status. DHS has claimed that ICE agents are facing a 1000 percent increase in assaults against them; however, the agency has not provided any detailed breakdowns of the allegations. What People Are Saying Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: "On August 15, ICE arrested Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles. This criminal illegal alien entered the country in 2022 and was RELEASED by the Biden administration. During her arrest, Martinez claimed to experience shortness of breath. She was given proper medical treatment and will be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings." The Sidewalk School, an immigrant rights group, wrote in a post on Instagram: "She was pulled screaming from her Tesla, later taken by ambulance to the hospital." David Earl Williams III, a Democrat, wrote on Facebook: "ICE violently arrested activist-journalist Tatiana Martinez in LA, slamming her to the ground on livestream. After a brief hospital release, she was taken back into custody. In a wild twist, one of ICE's SUVs was towed mid-arrest—turning their crackdown into a symbol of resistance." What Happens Next Martinez will remain in ICE custody pending further removal proceedings.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Serbian leader vows tough response to protesters following riots
President Aleksandar Vucic has announced tough measures against anti-government protesters following days of riots in the streets of Serbia that have challenged his increasingly autocratic rule in the Balkan country. In one of his frequent TV addresses to the public, Mr Vucic accused the anti-government demonstrators of 'pure terrorism' and re-iterated his claims that months of persistent protests against his rule have been orchestrated in the West and aimed at destroying Serbia. 'Our country is in grave danger, they have jeopardised all our values, normal life, each individual,' Mr Vucic said, alleging an elaborate scheme that would eventually install 'anarcho-leftist' authorities in the future. He did not offer any concrete evidence for his claims. 'Unless we undertake tougher steps it is a question of days when they (protesters) will kill someone,' Mr Vucic said. 'I am saying this for history.' The stern warnings came after five consecutive nights of clashes between the protesters on one side and police and Mr Vucic's loyalists on the other. Angry protesters on Saturday evening torched Mr Vucic's governing Serbian Progressive Party offices in a town in western Serbia, and of other ruling coalition allies. The demonstrators on Saturday evening also clashed with police in Belgrade, the capital, and in the northern city of Novi Sad. Riot officers used tear gas against demonstrators who hurled stun grenades, flares and bottles at them. Mr Vucic did not specify what will be the state response that he said would come within a week. But he stressed that a state of emergency is not imminent. Scores of people already have been detained and injured in the past days while police have faced accusations of excessive force and arbitrary detentions of protesters. 'You will witness the determination of the state of Serbia,' Mr Vucic said. 'We will use everything at our disposal to restore peace and order in the country.' The clashes this week marked a major escalation following more than nine months of largely peaceful demonstrations that started after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Serbia's north, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blamed the tragedy on alleged widespread corruption in state-run infrastructure projects that they say fuelled poor renovation work. The Serbian president has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while allowing organised crime and corruption to flourish. He has denied this. Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but Mr Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China. On Sunday, he praised Russia's backing for his government against what he called a 'coloured revolution' against his government.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Deported from US, these social media influencers are now monetizing their misfortune
More than 70,000 Mexicans were deported from the US in the first six months of the year. Now, they're (re)building lives south of the border. Deported and alone, Annie Garcia landed in Mexico with $40 in her pocket, a criminal record in the United States behind her and an unknown future ahead in a country she barely remembered. Fast forward to the present, to a video shared with her more than half-a-million social media followers in August. Her hair blows in the wind as she speeds on a boat through an emerald sea. She tagged the clip: #LifeAfterDeportation. Expelled from the United States, young Mexican immigrants like Garcia, 35, are documenting the aftermath of their deportation online. Their videos – raw grief over what they lost in America, surprise and gratitude for what they've found in Mexico – are rapidly gaining them tens of thousands of followers. At least a dozen of these deportees-turned-influencers, Garcia included, have started over in Mexico's west coast beach gem, Puerto Vallarta. 'If there's one thing I wish my content could embody it's how much life there is on this side of the border," Garcia wrote June 15 on Instagram. "Our countries aren't what they were 20 or 30 years ago when our parents left." Returning to an unfamiliar 'home' More than 70,000 Mexican nationals were deported from the United States to Mexico in the first six months of 2025, according to Mexico's Interior Ministry. That's down from the more than 102,000 deported during the same six-month period in 2024, when people were being deported after crossing the border. Now, the people being deported are more likely to have built lives and families in the United States. With President Donald Trump's aggressive mass deportation campaign underway, Francisco Hernández-Corona feared being detained. So he self-deported to Mexico, accompanied by his husband. He started vlogging. The 30-something Harvard graduate and former Dreamer had been taken to the United States illegally as a boy, he explained on TikTok. Multiple attempts to legalize his status in the United States failed. In June, he posted his migration – and self-deportation – stories online. Between photos of golden sunsets and mouthwatering tacos, he posted in July: "Self-deporting isn't always freedom and joy and new adventures. Sometimes it's pain and nostalgia and anger and sadness. Sometimes you just miss the home that was." 'Life in the pueblo is not easy' Mexico remains a country of extremes, where stunning vistas and limitless wealth can be found in big cities and beach resorts, while hardship and poverty often overwhelm smaller communities. Olga Mijangos was deported from Las Vegas in on Christmas Eve 2024, two years after being charged with a DUI. She returned to the Oaxaca state pueblo she had left when she was 5. Mijangos, 33, has tattoos on her neck, stylized brows and long lashes – all part of her Vegas style. Back in her hometown, she began posting videos of goats being herded through the streets; the community rodeo; the traditional foods she began cooking. She posted videos from her first job: harvesting and cleaning cucumbers, earning 300 pesos a day, or $15. "I clearly understand why my mother decided to take us when we were little. Life in the pueblo is not easy," she said in a video of the cucumber harvest. "There is hard-living. There is poverty." Struggling to make ends meet for her family, including two children with her in Mexico and one in the United States, she moved to Puerto Vallarta where she met Garcia and Hernández-Corona. They began forming an in-real-life community of deportees-turned-influencers and others who left the U.S. They meet up for dinner at least once a month, and they create content. In their videos, they're having fun, drinks, laughs. But they're also celebrating what binds them to each other and to their parents' migration stories before them: their capacity for reinvention, and their resilience. "I'm very proud to be Mexican, and I'm learning to love a country I didn't get to grow up in, but I shouldn't have had to leave the home I knew to find peace and freedom," said Hernández-Corona, a clinical psychologist, in a July post on TikTok. "This isn't a blessing. It's resilience." Spanish skills, savings and support all matter A lot of their content has the draw of a classic American up-by-their-bootstraps success story, with a modern social media twist: from hardship to sponsorship. But the reality is that deportees' experience of building a life in Mexico can vary dramatically, depending on their earning capacity, language and cultural skills, and other factors, said Israel Ibarra González, a professor of migration studies at Mexico's Colegio de la Frontera Norte university. Deportees with savings in U.S. dollars and a college degree, those who speak Spanish and have supportive relatives in Mexico, may have an easier time than those who don't, he said. Others may face life-threatening risks upon their return, from the violence of organized crime to political persecution or death threats. "However much violence they've lived with in the United States, it's not the same as going back to a war zone," Ibarra González said, referring to certain Mexican states where drug cartels are actively battling for territorial control. Wherever they land – with the exception of some cosmopolitan cities – deported Mexicans have faced local prejudices, too. They've often been viewed as criminals, or their deportations as a failure. "Did I feel a lot of judgment? Absolutely," Mijangos said of her return to Oaxaca. "Even though it's my roots, I basically came from a different world. I have tattoos. I lived my life a certain way that they don't. I could feel people talking." But friends back home in Vegas, and new friends in Mexico, started encouraging her to share her deportation journey. It took her a few weeks to work up the courage. She posted a video of sending her U.S. citizen son to a Mexican school. It racked up nearly 14 million views and 2 million "likes" on TikTok, she said. Suddenly, TikTok was asking if she wanted to join the app's content creators rewards program. 'Your criminal record doesn't follow you' By taking their stories online, deported content creators say they are dismantling longstanding taboos around deportation in Mexico, shining a light on their experiences as Mexicans who didn't grow up in Mexico, and on their past mistakes. Garcia speaks openly on her social media about the financial crimes she committed in her 20s, for which she was charged and convicted, and that ultimately led to her deportation. She migrated to the United States when she was 4 years old, "out of necessity," she said. Her mother married an American citizen in Salt Lake City, Utah, and she and her mother both became legal permanent residents. But when Garcia began acting out as a child, the state intervened. "I was taken from my mother at the age of 12 because I had behavioral issues," she told USA TODAY. "I was separated from my family, and I grew up with other juveniles with behavior (problems)." As a young single mother, she would steal from her employers when she couldn't pay the bills, she said. In Mexico she found a clean slate. "Your criminal record doesn't follow you," once you've paid your debt to society in the United States, Garcia tells her followers. "You can pursue higher education. Any debts you had in the U.S. do not follow you here." As Trump's immigration crackdown widens, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has been publicly offering moral support to Mexicans facing deportation. She has called them "heroes and heroines" who "have contributed to the United States their entire lives." "We're going to keep defending our brothers and sisters there," she said in a June 25 news conference. 'Maybe … things will change' Garcia's social media accounts have grown so popular that she's earning a living, in part, from content creation. She is doing research on reintegration after deportation for an American university. And she has "tunnel vision," she said, on completing a law degree in Mexico. The pain of her deportation, and the losses it brought with it, are mostly in the past. Except when she catches news of the immigration raids in the United States. The memories of her detention, and her separation from her five children, including an infant, remain fresh. It took Garcia more than a year after her 2017 deportation to win custody of her children, to bring them to Mexico. "It's very, very triggering to me to see what's going on up there," she said. "It's a bittersweet feeling. I feel safe. I feel relief. We're here. It doesn't affect us any more. But it feels heartbreaking to see other families living through it. "When I first started sharing my story my idea was, 'Maybe if I talk about this, things will change'" in the United States, she said. She kept at it, despite facing hate and trolls online. She kept posting, even after losing two jobs in Mexico for openly discussing her deportation and criminal past on social media. She kept sharing, thinking, she said: "This is what is going to change things one day: us putting our stories out there."
