Latest news with #ParisFestival
Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Wave of syringe attacks mar France's street music festival
Millions took to the streets for Fete de la Musique, with authorities reporting 'unprecedented crowds' in Paris. (AFP pic) PARIS : French police have detained twelve suspects after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival, officials said today. Millions of people took to the streets across France on Saturday evening for the Fete 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 inconscious and vulnerable to sexual assault. But at least three people reported feeling unwell, and '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 suffered from feeling unwell. Twelve people suspected of being responsible for the stabbings were arrested, 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.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Festival goer recalls 'fearing for her life' at international music event amid overcrowding concerns after 145 people report being pricked by syringes
A Fete de la Musique attendee said she 'feared for her life' at the annual Parisian music festival over the weekend. The free festival, also known as Music Day, took place last Saturday, and much like London 's Notting Hill Carnival, it encourages its thousands of attendees to play music out loud and dance in the streets. But the annual international music event descended into chaos when 'unprecedented crowds' rammed the French capital. Attackers infiltrated the millions in attendance and 'pricked' 145 attendees with 'syringes', according to reports. Officials did not say whether these were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs, such as Rohypnol or GHB, used to render victims confused, unconscious, or vulnerable to sexual assault. On TikTok, others have shared their recollections of the horrors they experienced at the event. Ada Catherine, from Dusseldorf, travelled to Paris for celebration, but by the evening, she was left 'in complete shock' and feared for her life due to immense crowding. She shared footage of a group dancing on a bus stop moments before a rush of people stormed the street, writing, 'She doesn't know it yet, but she'll fear for her life in two seconds.' Elsewhere, Nat from Woolwich, London, shared a clip at the event moments before 'someone got stabbed' while others let off 'fireworks' and 'teargas', he claimed. A different London-based attendee, who goes by @lileddy283 on TikTok, similarly shared a crowded scene at the festival with the caption, 'Fete de la Musique, you were good but never again.' Meanwhile, a tourist called Ozge was left disappointed when she travelled to the city yesterday only to see the streets in ruins. Ozge shared footage of public spaces filled with litter, and added in the caption, 'It was a big mistake to come to Paris after Fete de la Musique.' Before the party in Paris, which authorities reported as having 'unprecedented crowds', posts on social media had called for women to be targeted. The interior ministry confirmed on Sunday that 145 people reported being stabbed with needles after millions had taken to the streets to celebrate. Paris police reported 13 cases in the capital. '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 separate incidents across Paris, prosecutors said. All three reported feeling unwell. Across France, 12 suspects have been arrested. Among them were four people in the southwestern city of Angouleme suspected of having targeted around 50 victims, a police source said. 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 hospitalised after being found sitting on the street with stab wounds to the lower abdomen. Thirteen members of law enforcement were also injured. The prefect of the Paris police, Laurent Nunez, said that 'no major incident has been reported'. Footage circulating on social media also shows attendees in Paris partaking in aggressive behaviour on the streets amid the festivities. In one particularly shocking video, a man dressed in a blue T-shirt kicked a woman's head before pulling another male to the ground. The festival is an annual music celebration that takes place on June 21. On Music Day - as it is known in English - citizens and residents are urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces and parks. The occasion is now celebrated in 120 countries around the world. Organiser Emmanuel Sémo said, 'Over the past three years, this type of incident has unfortunately been on the rise in major cities, particularly in Paris, often amplified by viral TikTok challenges. 'However, at our event, we take these risks very seriously and have implemented heightened vigilance measures to ensure everyone's safety. 'Ahead of the EF FESTIVAL or VERSO FESTIVAL, we issued preventive messages across our social media channels, sent information by email to attendees, and displayed dedicated signage on site. 'Security checks were reinforced at the entrances, and patrols were increased throughout the venue to detect and prevent any suspicious behaviour. 'This year, we had two suspected cases out of over 17,000 attendees. After investigation by emergency services, both were proven to be false alarms. 'While this represents an extremely low incident rate, safety remains an absolute priority for us. We also note that no intervention from law enforcement was required during the event. 'The atmosphere remained positive, the audience was respectful and well-filtered at entry points; We're proud of the secure and welcoming environment we created.'
