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France’s Fête de la Musique turns violent: Rapes, stabbings and syringe attacks on women

France’s Fête de la Musique turned violent with stabbings, rapes, syringe attacks on women, and 243 arrests — as authorities claimed the event was “incident-free.”

France’s Fête de la Musique turns violent: Rapes, stabbings and syringe attacks on women
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A nightmarish evening unfolded across France during the “Fête de la Musique” — the country’s largest open-air music festival — leaving a trail of shocking incidents that have horrified the nation. More than two million people attended the festival in Paris, where the first clashes erupted shortly after 11 p.m. in the Châtelet district, near the Notre-Dame Cathedral. What began as a celebration of music quickly descended into chaos, with at least two stabbings recorded and numerous reports of rape and sexual assault. Most alarmingly, more than 10 young women were attacked with syringes, while authorities carried out 243 arrests across the country.

Read also: Terror in Scotland: Series of knife and axe attacks targeting Muslims in Edinburgh — Five injured, 36-year-old arrested (Video)

Scenes of chaos in France: Knife attacks, smashed cars and looting

In Toulouse and the nearby town of Colomiers, a man and a woman are being treated in stable condition following savage knife attacks. “Security camera footage is being reviewed inch by inch to identify those who used knives against civilians,” an investigative source confirmed.

Meanwhile, Paris resembled a war zone, with smashed vehicles and widespread looting. In Châtelet, gangs of youths began beating bystanders, triggering mass panic. A British eyewitness named Steve described the mayhem: “The streets became dangerously overcrowded and troublemakers took full advantage of it. People were screaming and there was genuine fear that the fighting would cause a stampede.”

Syringe attacks on women — Sexual assaults on minors as young as 12

According to the Daily Mail, the horror reached a new low when a wave of syringe attacks was reported. In one case, a young woman was raped after first being injected with a syringe, while sexual assaults were reported against minors as young as 12 and 15 years old.

The response from authorities has sparked outrage. Paris Deputy Mayor Lamia El Aaraje had openly invited “the youth of Europe to come and party” — despite the fact that serious incidents had also occurred in 2025, with the deputy mayor herself acknowledging that “last year there was an impact on public spaces, there were excesses, incidents and a great deal of sexual violence.” Despite the deployment of 5,000 police officers, they were reportedly ordered to hold back and intervene only when “absolutely necessary,” leaving thousands of tourists effectively unprotected, according to the Daily Mail.

What France’s interior minister said

Adding fuel to the fire, France’s Interior Minister posted on social media claiming the event had gone ahead “without any incidents,” thanks to “appropriate security measures.” “I would like to thank all the prefects, as well as the law enforcement and emergency services deployed across the country for the Fête de la Musique 2026, which took place this year under conditions of extremely high temperatures. Thanks to the security measures put in place, the festivities were held without any incidents. Those who committed offences were arrested immediately: 268 arrests were made and 185 people were placed in custody,” he stated.

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