145 People Stabbed With Needles at French Music Festival, 12 Arrested

Every year, France throws a massive party: Fête de la Musique, a nationwide street festival where millions flood the streets to celebrate with concerts, parades, and public dancing. And this year, at least a dozen people tried to inject a bit of terror into the festivities.

There were “unprecedented” crowds all over the country, especially in Paris. Amid the throngs of revelers, on June 21, 145 people reported being pricked with syringes. The interior ministry confirmed that 12 people were arrested in connection with the attacks, including four suspects in Angoulême who are believed to have targeted around 50 victims alone.

Paris police are also investigating three separate cases, one involving a 15-year-old girl and another an 18-year-old male, both of whom said they felt unwell after being pricked. Officials haven’t confirmed if the needles were loaded with drugs like GHB or Rohypnol, which have been linked to similar “needle spiking” attacks in the UK and elsewhere in Europe in recent years. The first syringe attack occurred at around 9:15 PM local time. Fifteen of the victims were young women between the ages of 14 and 20.

In total, over 370 people were detained across the country during the event for various charges unrelated to needle stabbings, including nearly 90 in Paris. Fourteen festivalgoers were seriously injured in a variety of other incidents, including a better kind of stabbing, this time a 17-year-old who was found with stab wounds to the abdomen. Thirteen police officers were also hurt.

Despite all of this, Laurent Nuñez, the head of Paris police, claimed “no major incident has been reported,” a statement that sounds like he was not briefed on the 145 people stabbed with syringes.

France’s music festival should be a day for people to fill the streets with joy and song. Instead, this year’s edition brought toxic masculinity, literal toxicity, and chaos to a celebration meant to be a national exhale. As investigators await toxicology results, the needle attacks remain a chilling reminder: even joy needs protection.