NEEDLE ATTACKS AND VIOLENCE TAINT FRANCE’S FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE CELEBRATIONS
Festivals are meant to be full of music, harmony, and culture but on June the 22nd, Fête de la Musique became a night of terror throughout France, when dozens of concertgoers were jabbed with needles during the course of the nation’s Fête de la Musique celebrations. At least 145 victims were found needing assistance of authorities nationwide, 13 of them in Paris alone, which has sparked outrage throughout the nation in response to the spiking attacks, which were organised.
Most of the victims were teen girls and young women. Some of them reported that they had fallen ill shortly after they were attacked, and toxicological tests were conducted. The public prosecutor launched an investigation, on the basis of “intentional violence with premeditation.” Although no toxic substances were identified in all cases, police said they were taking the events seriously because the same type of attacks have been happening all over Europe for decades.
There are twelve suspects under arrest. The arrests are suspected to be related to social media messages charged with inciting violence against women during the weekend of the festival. Police are working to determine whether the violence was random or whether it had been planned as part of a gender violence campaign.
“This isn’t isolated “festival mayhem.” It’s gendered violence. When women are targeted en masse, often with warnings circulating beforehand, that’s coordinated harm. Authorities and media must stop downplaying it and call it out with the urgency it deserves.”
Along with the needle stabbings, the demonstration was also marred by more general violence, with more than 370 people being detained throughout the country. A 17-year-old youth was stabbed in Marseille and suffered serious abdominal wounds. Tear gas was deployed by police in Lyon and Toulouse as street battles deteriorated towards evening.
The Fête de la Musique, founded in 1982, is the country’s beloved cultural festival. Record numbers pack the towns and cities this year. But contrasting with the music, in the shadows, the violence shocked a nation and festival attendees are calling for more protection. “We came here to celebrate,” said 22-year-old Clara during the Paris celebration. “We left in fear instead. How are we going to be happy when our bodies are targets?” The Interior Ministry vowed a full investigation and increased security at upcoming public events. Still, for others, the harm is done.
It’s not enough for organisers to issue post-event apologies or vague promises. Festivals must invest in on-site survivor support, visible staff trained to handle assault reports, and crowd designs that prioritise safety over spectacle. Surveillance tech can’t replace trust, accountability, or community care.
While authorities struggle to find reasons, survivor groups and women’s groups are demanding not only accountability from the perpetrators, but also from institutions that enabled this abuse to run unchecked behind closed doors.
Those impacted and the women’s groups who saw this coming, need to be at the table. Their insight should shape reforms, not be an afterthought. This includes pushing governments to criminalise needle spiking explicitly, where they haven’t yet, and resourcing proper forensic testing.
Needle attacks don’t happen in a vacuum. They grow in a climate where misogyny is shrugged off, jokes about women’s bodies circulate unchecked, and victim-blaming still thrives. This calls for cultural work through education, media accountability, and public reckoning.
For every one person pricked with a needle, dozens more carry the invisible wounds of being constantly unsafe in public. Sharing stories, amplifying survivors, and pushing for international attention makes it harder for institutions to bury the issue.
RACHEL BROWN
