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Rabat – More than 1,000 vehicles were set ablaze and over 500 people were arrested across France in hooliganism during New Year’s Eve celebrations, a night the Interior Ministry nonetheless described as calmer than last year, with “more limited urban violence.”
In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said 505 people were arrested nationwide, with 403 placed in police custody.
By comparison, last year’s New Year’s Eve recorded 420 arrests and 310 cases of custody. The number of burned vehicles, however, rose to 1,173 in 2025, up from 984 a year earlier.
Despite the increase in arson, authorities maintained that the overall situation showed signs of relative improvement.
“All regional prefects reported a less agitated night in sensitive neighborhoods compared to last year, with fewer incidents of urban violence,” the ministry said.
Police officers were nevertheless targeted in several cities with fireworks and mortar-style pyrotechnics, according to police sources cited by AFP.
Such incidents were reported in Nice, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Rennes, among other cities.
To maintain order among the chaos, around 90,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide, including 10,000 in Paris and its surrounding suburbs, matching mobilization from last year.
In Paris alone, prosecutors said 125 people aged between 17 and 53 were placed in police custody.
Of those, 33 were detained on suspicion of assault, 15 for participation in groups formed with the intent to commit violence or property damage, and ten for possession of psychotropic substances, including canisters of nitrous oxide. Eight others were held for drug use.
Authorities continue to monitor New Year’s Eve-related violence closely, a recurring challenge for law enforcement in several urban areas across the country.
