Suspects held after 145 hit by festival syringe attacks

French police detained 12 suspects yesterday after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival at the weekend.

- Angelique Chrisafis

Millions of people took to the streets across France on Saturday evening for the Fête de la Musique, with the authorities reporting unprecedented crowds in Paris.

The feminist influencer Abrége Soeur warned online before the festival that calls had been made on social media for women to be targeted with syringes.

It was not clear where such posts would have been made or by whom.

The interior ministry said 145 victims had reported being stabbed with needles during outdoor music events across the country. Paris police reported 13 cases in the capital.

Officials did not say if these had been cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB used by attackers to render victims confused or unconscious and vulnerable to sexual assault.

"Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests," the ministry said.