France Marks New Year with Car Burnings: Almost 1000 Vehicles Torched, Over 400 Arrested

france - France welcomed the year 2025 with celebrations marred by car burnings and arrests in several cities, including the capital Paris.

France celebrated the arrival of the year 2025 with a night of festivities that turned dark as nearly 1000 cars were set on fire and over 400 people were arrested in multiple cities, as reported by BFMTV.

The Ministry of Interior announced that 984 vehicles were set ablaze on New Year's Eve, with 420 individuals taken into custody, while 310 of them are still under arrest.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau conveyed his condolences to the owners of the cars that were burnt due to lack of parking spaces, condemning the perpetrators as 'cowardly bandits' and strongly denouncing the violence.

Retailleau highlighted numerous injuries caused by the extensive use of fireworks during the night, including a two-year-old child put at risk in Lyon, facing the possibility of disability. Another person was hospitalized in intensive care due to injuries from fireworks.

Instances of arson were not limited to car burnings, as a house in Lormont caught fire due to fireworks, rendering it uninhabitable.

Retailleau also revealed that some of the arrested individuals directly attacked law enforcement officers by launching fireworks at them.

French prosecutors reported a series of thefts on New Year's Eve, along with an incident where a police vehicle was set on fire, although no injuries were reported.

Retailleau expressed his satisfaction with Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin's statements, assuring that they will act in coordination to apply appropriate sanctions for the attacks.