French Prisons Attacked for Three Nights with Vehicles Set on Fire and Automatic Weapons Used Amid Crackdown on Crime

Over three consecutive nights, coordinated attacks have targeted French prisons in multiple cities including Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Valence, Nimes, Villepinte, Nanterre, and Toulon. Vehicles belonging to prison staff were set on fire, and automatic weapons were fired at prison entrances. These attacks are believed to be a response to the French government's tougher stance on crime, particularly against drug trafficking. The French Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, has visited the affected areas to show support for prison staff. He has linked the attacks to his policy of building high-security prisons for the most dangerous criminals, with the first facility scheduled to open at the end of July between Arras and Lille. The attacks have been claimed by a group called 'DDPF' (Défense des droits des prisonniers français), active on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. DDPF has criticized prison conditions and the behavior of prison guards, though it denies being a terrorist organization. A suspect, a prisoner on conditional release, was arrested in connection with the group's activities on Telegram, but his exact role in the attacks remains unclear. The French anti-terrorism unit has been involved in the investigation, considering the possibility that the attacks could be linked to drug trafficking networks or far-left groups. The situation has raised concerns about the safety of prison staff, especially after an incident last year where a drugs baron was freed on a highway, resulting in the deaths of two guards.