In a press release released this Wednesday, the Ministry of the Interior announced that 420 people were arrested, on the night of December 31, 2024 to January 1, “following in particular mortar fire directly targeting internal security forces” .
The general climate of this New Year’s Eve 2025 appears for the moment to be rather calm. An observation which can be explained in particular by the very strong security system which has been put in place in Paris with 10,000 law enforcement and emergency services in Paris and the inner suburbs and an additional 90,000 nationally.
However, several notable news events took place, disrupting the smooth running of the event. In several places in France, police and gendarmes were targeted by mortar fire. This is what the Ministry of the Interior confirmed this Wednesday, January 1.
In a press release, Place Beauvau explains that “in several metropolitan areas, 420 arrests were made following mortar fire directly targeting internal security forces. 310 police custody cases were recorded.”
984 vehicles burned
“The results of the night of December 31 show 984 vehicles burned. Numerous uses of mortars have been noted by the services, notably in Lyon where a two-year-old child, injured in the face by a fireworks mortar, risks permanent disability, in Thonon-les-Bains where an individual was transported in absolute emergency following the use of mortar, or even in Lormont where a shot generated a fire destroying an apartment,” we can read in the press release.
For example, a 2-year-old child was injured in the eye by a mortar shot in Lyon, Place Bellecour around midnight. Further south in Cannes, a man was stabbed by another individual, the reasons are currently unknown but the attacker was arrested.
In the Bas-Rhin department, “around ten residential fires were caused by irresponsible behavior linked to urban violence,” the prefecture said. In Strasbourg, affected for several days by urban violence, a young 15-year-old teenager died after being hit by a fleeing vehicle.
In total, in this department, “the police were able to make 51 arrests (including 22 minors), a figure up significantly compared to last year”. Around fifteen people were injured “due to the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices”. In addition, a gendarme was slightly injured following mortar fire.
At least 80 vehicles burned in the Paris region
Elsewhere, in Sarrebourg in Moselle, a school was the victim of an arson attack. Firefighters who came as reinforcements from Metz had to intervene to contain the fire started in a room of the building.
Other towns were affected by these excesses, in Saint-Etienne for example, vehicles were burned and fireworks were fired. Same observation in Nantes, where the police also discovered numerous Molotov cocktails in the bushes.
According to other police sources at CNEWS, at least 80 vehicles were set on fire in the Paris region in the departments of Yvelines, Essonne and Seine-Saint-Denis.
In these same departments, a police officer was injured and several attacked. In addition, numerous trash fires, projectile throwing, mortar fire and also the use of weapons were recorded.
In Nice, the police were targeted by mortar fire, which started fires. Finally, in the north, in Valenciennes, three people were arrested for urban rodeo and mortar fire. For the moment, this is only a provisional assessment.
