Multiple prisons in France hit by ‘co-ordinated’ attacks involving gunfire and arson – UK Times

Multiple prisons in France have been attacked, the country’s justice minister has said – with reports of gunfire and arson.

Vehicles were set alight in prison car parks, according to Le Parisien, while a prison in the southern city of Toulon was fired at with an automatic weapon.

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed multiple sites were targeted, with local media reports claiming the attacks were co-ordinated.

“Attempts have been made to intimidate staff in several prisons, ranging from burning vehicles to firing automatic weapons,” Mr Darmanin said on social media platform X.

Prisons were also hit in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, Valence and Nîmes, Luynes, Villepinte, and Nanterre, according to local reports. BFMTV reported that Agen was also hit.

Prison unions have said burnt vehicles have been found outside prisons for several days, BFMTV reported.

Mr Darmanin said thathe would travel to the southern city of Toulon, whose prison was among those attacked.

“I am going to Toulon to support the officers concerned. The French Republic is facing up to the problem of drug trafficking and is taking measures that will massively disrupt the criminal networks,” he said.

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Here’s what we know so far:

Toulon

According to newspaper Le Parisien, the entrance to Toulon prison was targeted by gunmen in a car at around 1am. The gunmen fled the scene.

Gendarmes found the door had been hit seven times and several boxes of ammunition were left on the ground, Le Parisien reported. No one is believed to have been injured.

Marseille

Several vehicles were set on fire in a street in the 13th district of the southern French city, according to BFMTV, with “DDPF” found spray painted near.

DDPF stands for “Droit des Prisonniers Français” – the rights of French prisoners.

Le Parisien reported that a residence known for housing prison guards in the north of the city was targeted.

The newspaper said two cars were burnt and nine were spray-painted with DDPF. It is not yet clear whether these reports relate to the same cars as those reported by broadcaster BFMTV.

Nanterre

Two people were seen setting fire to a car belonging to prison staff on Monday evening, local reports said.

The car was parked in the prison car park and a petrol can was found nearby.

Nanterre is a suburb of Paris in the north of the country.

Villepinte

Later at around 10.30pm, two men were seen setting fire to three vehicles parked in the prison car park in Villepinte, another Parisian suburb.

Two of the cars belonged to prison staff and a can of petrol was also found at the scene.

Valence

Someone on a scooter set fire to vehicles outside the prison in Valence in southeast France, according to BFMTV.

Meanwhile Le Parisien reported that it was two cars belonging to prison staff which were set on fire in the car park.

Nîmes

Vehicles were damaged in the southern city of Nîmes.

Local media reported that DDPF was also spraypainted on the vehicles in Nîmes.

Luynes

As in Nîmes, Le Parisien reported the discovery of damaged vehicles sprayed with DDPF in Luynes village in southern France.

BFMTV also said cars had been set alight in a prison carpark. The village is known for its prison and international schools.