The number of cars set on fire in France on New Year's Eve has increased to more than 1,000, according to updated statistics published by the French Ministry of Internal Affairs, APA reports citing BFMTV.
"We have recorded an increase [compared to last year] in the number of vehicles damaged by fire (both due to direct arson and fire spread): 1,173 vehicles burned, while last year there were 984," the communiqué reads. Meanwhile, in the first half of the day, BFMTV, citing a law enforcement source, reported that 813 vehicles had been set on fire overnight.
Over New Year's Eve, police officers were attacked by hooligans several times. Most of the incidents occurred in the north and east of the country, with the most serious clashes recorded in Strasbourg. Despite this, the Ministry of Internal Affairs believes that these incidents were less serious than last year.
In total, police and gendarmes detained 505 people on New Year's Eve, 403 of whom were taken into custody. In Paris, 125 people were detained, 75 of whom were remanded in custody, mostly for violence and vandalism. The Paris Prefecture of Police emphasized that not a single car was set on fire in the capital overnight. No arson attacks on city infrastructure were reported.
Separately, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the seizure of 96,000 units of illegally acquired pyrotechnics as of 5:00 PM (7:00 PM Moscow time) on December 31st last year. Despite this, authorities in several departments reported 22 fireworks-related injuries, the youngest of whom were aged 12 and 13.
The French Ministry of the Interior deployed 90,000 police officers and gendarmes to ensure security on New Year's Eve. Of these, approximately 10,000 were on duty in the streets of Paris and its surrounding suburbs. Minister Laurent Nunez stated that he had instructed prefects to "act firmly" in the event of acts of vandalism and violence.
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