Coordinated prison attacks rock France amid anti-drug crackdown

Multiple prisons across France have been targeted in a series of coordinated overnight attacks, prompting concern from authorities and prison staff.

Vehicles were set on fire in prison car parks, and one facility in Toulon came under fire from an automatic weapon, reportedly an assault rifle, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin labeled the incidents as "intimidation attempts," linking them to the government's intensifying campaign against drug trafficking. Seven prisons were affected, including sites in Toulon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Valence, Nîmes, Villepinte, and Nanterre.

Darmanin, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said he would travel to Toulon to support prison staff. While he did not name those responsible, he emphasized that France was "facing up to the problem of drug trafficking" with measures designed to "profoundly disrupt" criminal networks. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau echoed the call for a strong response, writing, “Those who attack prisons and officers deserve to be locked up in those prisons and monitored by those officers.” He also ordered an immediate increase in security at all prison facilities. 

The FO Justice union, which represents prison staff, expressed "deepest concern and anger" over the "extremely serious" nature of the attacks. The union posted images on social media showing scorched vehicles and bullet holes in prison gates, calling on the government to act swiftly to protect personnel. 

These incidents follow a similar attack just a day earlier, when vehicles were set on fire at the national school for prison administration. No group has claimed responsibility, but the acronym DDPF—"French prisoners’ rights"—was seen on damaged vehicles, and the presence of anarchist slogans. The attacks appear coordinated and "clearly linked" to new government measures, including a proposed law to establish a special prosecutor’s office for drug-related crimes.

By Naila Huseynova