A new wave of attacks targeting French prisons has emerged overnight, with cars set on fire at several facilities, including at the Tarascon prison in southern France.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) is leading the investigation into the incidents, which have sparked growing concern over the escalating violence.
In addition to the fires at Tarascon, a car was set ablaze in front of the home of a prison guard working at the Aix-Luynes facility in southern France. There was also damage to a building door in the Seine-et-Marne region. These incidents follow a series of attacks that targeted at least nine prisons and affiliated institutions over the past two nights, including a school for prison staff.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned the attacks, calling them attempts to destabilize the state through intimidation. "There are clearly people who try to destabilize the state by intimidating it," Darmanin told CNews TV and Europe 1 radio. "We won't back down. If the state backs down, then there is nothing left, the French wouldn't be protected anymore."
Graffiti with the acronym "DDPF," believed to stand for "French prisoners' rights," was found at several of the attack sites. Some police sources have speculated that left-wing militant groups may be involved, although Darmanin suggested that the attacks, including shootings at prison doors with AK-47 rifles, were more likely linked to organized crime.
"We are taking very firm measures that are leading drug traffickers to react," Darmanin said, pointing to the ongoing crackdown on narcotics-related violence. He warned that France must not succumb to the influence of drug gangs, a phenomenon he said had taken hold in other countries. "Some countries have given in to narcobanditism... we're not at this stage, because we are taking very firm measures, but we're not that far."
The attacks come amid a surge in drug-related violence, fueled by the growing cocaine trade from South America to Europe. Despite record cocaine seizures in France, local gangs continue to profit from the illicit market, expanding from traditional strongholds like Marseille to smaller towns that are unfamiliar with such violence.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, seeking to identify the perpetrators and prevent further attacks on prison facilities.
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