Attackers burn vehicles and fire automatic weapons at French prisons overnight

French justice minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed on Tuesday that attacks had been carried out overnight on several French prisons, and added he would travel to the southern city of Toulon, whose prison was among those attacked.

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

Des établissements pénitentiaires font l’objet de tentatives d’intimidation allant de l’incendie de véhicules à des tirs à l’arme automatique. Je me rends sur place à Toulon pour soutenir les agents concernés. La République est confrontée au narcotrafic et prend des mesures qui…

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 15, 2025

"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 added.

In recent months Darmanin and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau have vowed to intensify the fight against narcotics and drug-related crime.

"All this appeared to have been coordinated and is clearly linked to the anti-drug gang strategy" introduced by Darmanin, a source close to the matter told AFP.

According to prison staff union FO Justice, "vehicles were torched, prison gates set on fire, and even targeted with heavy guns".

Three vehicles, including two belonging to prison staff, were set on fire in the car park of the Villepinte prison north of Paris, a police source said. A fuel canister was found on site, and CCTV footage showed two individuals torching cars.

Cars parked outside three other prisons, one near Paris and two in southern France, were also set on fire, another police source said.

In a prison in Toulon, on France's southern coast, 15 bullet impacts were found on the front gate following an attack with a "Kalashnikov-type" assault weapon, FO Justice said.

In a prison in nearby Aix, two vehicles were set on fire and the gate of the local ERIS prison surveillance unit was damaged, the union added.

Overnight Sunday to Monday, fires had already been set in the parking lots of a prison staff training centre and a prison near Paris, several sources said.

"These criminal acts are a full-on attack on our institution, on the republic and the staff who serve the republic every day," FO Justice said, calling for a "strong, clear response by the government".

Wilfried Fonck, national secretary for Ufap Unsa Justice, another union, told AFP that the prison system did not have enough staff to secure prison perimeters "24/7".

France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it had taken charge of the investigation into attacks. The DGSI national security agency will also be involved, the prosecutor said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)