Horror at France’s Street Music Festival: 145 People Pricked with Syringes Amid Massive Crowds

The vibrant, joyful atmosphere of France’s largest street music festival, Fête de la Musique, was overshadowed this year by a wave of chilling attacks. According to the French Interior Ministry, at least 145 people across the country reported being pricked with syringes during the nationwide celebration, sending shockwaves through the millions who took to the streets to enjoy the music.

A Nightmare Amid the Festivities

On the night of June 21st, millions gathered in city squares, streets, and along the banks of the Seine in Paris to celebrate music. But among the unprecedented crowds—described by officials as three or four times larger than usual in Paris—panic broke out as people began shouting, “I’ve been pricked!”

In the capital alone, Paris police confirmed at least 13 cases of “needle spiking,” with three victims—a 15-year-old girl, an 18-year-old man, and another individual—reporting that they felt unwell after being attacked in separate incidents across the city.

A National Crisis and Ongoing Investigation

The attacks were not limited to Paris. Reports came in from cities across France, prompting police to detain 12 suspects as part of an urgent, nationwide investigation. The Interior Ministry emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that toxicology tests are underway to determine whether victims were injected with dangerous substances, such as date-rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB, which can leave people disoriented, unconscious, and vulnerable to assault.

Speaking to French broadcaster CNews, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez called the incidents “extremely serious” and condemned online calls to target women with syringes as “completely idiotic.” Ahead of the festival, feminist influencers such as Abrège Soeur had already warned that social media posts were encouraging these attacks.

Fear and Outrage in the Aftermath

The Ministry also reported that, in addition to the syringe attacks, police made 371 arrests nationwide on Saturday night for various incidents, nearly 90 of them in Paris alone.

As toxicology results are awaited and the investigation continues, the French public is left reeling. Fête de la Musique, a celebration meant to unite people in joy and creativity, has instead become a symbol of fear and vulnerability for many. The question now remains: how will authorities ensure the safety of festival-goers in the future, and what motivates attackers to commit such disturbing acts in the midst of celebration?