The Daily Populous Monday June 23rd, 2025 evening edition
Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by CupidStunt13

Paris — French police have detained 12 suspects after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival, officials said Sunday.

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 social media had called for women to be targeted during the festivities.

The interior ministry said 145 victims across the country had reported being stabbed with needles. Paris police reported 13 cases in the capital.

Hundreds of people pack the city streets at night to watch musicians and parades during the Fete de la Musique in Clermont-Ferrand, France, on June 21 2025. ROMAIN COSTASECA/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

Officials did not say if these were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB, used by attackers to render victims confused or unconscious and vulnerable to sexual assault. There was a spate of such attacks in the U.K. and a number of other European nations about three years ago.

"Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests," the French interior 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, the interior ministry said. 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 who was hospitalized 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."

deadstump on June 23rd, 2025 at 14:15 UTC »

There was a call for this to happen right? From who? Was there a particular political motivation?

PhalanX4012 on June 23rd, 2025 at 14:07 UTC »

What the fuck is wrong with people?

CupidStunt13 on June 23rd, 2025 at 14:06 UTC »

> French police have detained 12 suspects after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival, officials said Sunday.

> 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 social media had called for women to be targeted during the festivities.

> The interior ministry said 145 victims across the country had reported being stabbed with needles. Paris police reported 13 cases in the capital.

It's a good thing they've caught a number of people involved in it, but it is seriously messed up for people to coordinate an effort to target women using needles. Just bizarre.