Coordinated Attacks Across French Prisons Overnight, Gunfire, Car Fires, and Chaos in Toulon, Marseille, Nîmes, and More

Prisons attacked with automatic weapons & cars set alight in ‘coordinated’ campaign across France

At least seven prisons across France were targeted in a series of "extremely serious" and apparently coordinated attacks overnight on Monday, April 14, with additional incidents reported the previous evening. The wave of violence included gunfire and arson, with vehicles set ablaze in prison car parks and a prison facility in Toulon coming under fire from an automatic weapon.

The attacks affected prisons in Toulon, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Valence, Nîmes, Luynes, Villepinte, and Nanterre. A separate attack was reported Sunday night at a prison in Agen.

Bullet holes are seen in Toulon prison

In Toulon, gunmen in a car opened fire at around 1 a.m., hitting the prison entrance seven times before fleeing. Several boxes of ammunition were found near the scene. In Marseille, several vehicles were torched in the 13th district, with the acronym “DDPF” — meaning “Droits des Prisonniers Français” or “Rights of French Prisoners” — spray-painted nearby. Housing for prison staff in the north of the city was also targeted, with two cars burnt and nine others vandalized with the same graffiti.

In the Paris suburb of Nanterre, two individuals were seen setting fire to a car belonging to prison personnel. A petrol can was discovered nearby. In Villepinte, also near Paris, two men reportedly set fire to three staff vehicles at around 10:30 p.m., again with a petrol can left behind.

Vehicles were torched in multiple prison car parks

In Valence, a person on a scooter was reportedly responsible for torching staff vehicles. In Nîmes and Luynes, prison car parks were similarly attacked, with several vehicles damaged or set on fire and “DDPF” graffiti observed.

The earliest of the incidents was in Agen on Sunday night, when seven vehicles were destroyed by fire in the prison parking lot at approximately 11 p.m.

While no injuries have been reported, the attacks have prompted a swift response from French authorities. The Justice Minister condemned the events, describing them as attempts to intimidate prison staff through violence ranging from arson to automatic gunfire. He confirmed his visit to Toulon to support affected officers and reaffirmed the government’s determination to disrupt criminal networks, particularly those linked to drug trafficking.

Vehicles were torched in multiple prison car parks

The motives behind the attacks remain under investigation. Authorities are considering two main possibilities: the actions may be tied to drug traffickers opposing proposed justice reforms — including isolating high-level traffickers in specialized facilities or establishing a dedicated prison police force — or they may be the work of ultra-left groups, suggested by the “DDPF” markings found at multiple sites.

A source close to the investigation stated that the coordinated nature of the attacks appears “clearly linked to the Minister’s strategy against drug trafficking.”

A prison entrance riddled with bullet holes

The FO Justice union representing prison staff expressed “deepest concern and anger” over the attacks and called for immediate government action to ensure the safety of officers. It shared images of bullet holes in prison windows and burned-out vehicles on social media.

France’s Interior Minister echoed the urgency for a strong response, stating that those responsible must face severe consequences and should be detained in the very prisons they targeted.

Authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage and search for the perpetrators.