Khaberni - This year's "Fête de la Musique" festival in France saw widespread disturbances that turned into acts of violence in several cities, most notably Paris and Toulouse.
More than 240 people were arrested, and several participants were injured due to various assaults including stabbings, thefts, and sexual attacks, while shocking footage showed parts of these horrific incidents.
In the southwest of the country, a man and a woman were injured in two separate stabbing incidents and were taken to hospital in stable condition, while the capital Paris witnessed tensions and clashes in several neighborhoods, accompanied by thefts, assault attempts, and property vandalism.
The authorities also recorded multiple incidents linked to the use of injections with unknown substances in attacks targeting women, in addition to reports of sexual assaults and rape cases in various areas of the capital and its suburbs, prompting the police to launch extensive investigations and review camera footage.
Acts of chaos erupted in areas crowded with participants, where some rioters took advantage of the large crowds, prompting security forces to intervene at some sites using crowd dispersal means.
The festival, which annually attracts millions of participants and is held in streets and public squares, faced complicated conditions this year due to severe congestion and high temperatures, along with behaviors that violated official restrictions such as carrying alcohol.
Despite the large security presence, authorities faced difficulties in controlling some scattered events, reigniting debate about the safety of organizing this massive public event in recent years.
