4 hours Ago
The attacks took place in several locations, with at least 13 confirmed cases in Paris. These are serious matters, and all the more so as we do not know the motive or the substance involved. It was reported that they had been injected, for example, in the arm, leg or buttocks.
The rise of public fear triggers an investigation.
The apparent attacks on the Americans are under investigation to determine whether they involved disorienting or even spikeable substances such as Rohypnol or GHB, which can make users weak and even unconscious. The Interior Ministry stressed that the toxicology tests are underway and that the case is being treated with "extreme seriousness.
Millions took to the streets across France and throngs were described in Paris as the biggest in years. Laurent Nuñez, the police chief in Paris, said the turnout in the capital was three to four times the average of recent years, adding extra difficulty to crowd control and security.
Teenagers Among Victims; Online Warnings Surface
In Paris alone, three people, including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, said they had been pricked in separate locations. All three became unwell and symptomatic soon after. Before the celebration, online warnings had spread, warning people about possible syringe stabbings, with women especially being targeted.
Laurent Nuñez described these actions as very serious and said it was nonsense for some online calls aiming to provoke such individuals would be supported back home. In addition to the syringe cases, the Paris police arrested 371 people in various incidents across France on Saturday night and on charges, with nearly 90 in Paris.
