Night of chaos in France: Arrests, stabbings and panic at nationwide music festival

The celebrations were marred by allegations of stabbings, sexual assaults, and syringe attacks across several cities.

According to media reports, two people were stabbed, while multiple incidents of mugging and disorder were recorded during the night.

According to reports cited by the Daily Mail, police also received complaints of sexual assaults and cases in which women were allegedly injected with syringes containing unknown substances.

Video clips circulating on social media appeared to show groups of youths vandalising vehicles and engaging in street brawls in various locations.

In Toulouse, a man was reportedly stabbed on Monday, while a woman was also knifed in nearby Colomiers shortly after. Both victims were hospitalised for treatment.

An investigating source told the Daily Mail that CCTV footage from the festival is being reviewed to identify individuals involved in stabbing incidents.

Violence was also reported in Paris, where individuals allegedly smashed car windows and attempted to break into shops during the celebrations. Authorities confirmed around 148 arrests in the capital alone, according to an Interior Ministry spokesperson cited by the Daily Mail.

Reports further stated that more than 10 cases of alleged syringe attacks on women were recorded, involving unknown substances being injected.

In one incident, a young woman in Paris’s 9th arrondissement was allegedly injected and later raped by a man at a private residence around 9:30 pm, according to officials cited in reports.

In Gagny, a 48-year-old man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, while another minor was reportedly raped after attending a concert in Nogent-sur-Marne.

More than two million people were estimated to have attended celebrations in Paris, where violence reportedly escalated after 11 pm, particularly in the Châtelet area.

“Streets became dangerously overcrowded, and troublemakers took advantage,” a British witness told the Daily Mail.

“A group of young men — some wearing Paris Saint-Germain shirts — began attacking people, causing chaos,” the witness said.

“There was screaming everywhere, and real fear that a stampede could break out as people tried to escape,” he added.

What is Fête de la Musique?

Fête de la Musique, also known as Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music festival celebrated on June 21. It originated in France in 1982 and has since spread to more than 120 countries worldwide, encouraging free public performances of music in streets, parks, and public spaces.