Easter weekend: religious ceremonies under surveillance in the face of the terrorist threat

This Easter weekend, the checks by the police will not be limited to gatherings of more than six people banned in public space because of the Covid-19.

Religious ceremonies in connection with this major moment for Christians will also receive special attention, but not for the same reason.

For a month now, France has been at the “attack risk” level of the Vigipirate plan to fight terrorism.

Admittedly, this level is lower than the "emergency attack" which had been activated at the end of 2020. But the terrorist threat remains very present on the territory and the authorities fear that this threat could materialize during these ceremonies.

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Instructions were sent to the prefects

To limit the risks, reinforced security measures have therefore been put in place as part of these ceremonies.

In each department, the prefects received instructions from the Ministry of the Interior to increase security around these events.

The military patrols of Operation Sentinel will be mobilized on the front line and will monitor the buildings deemed to be the most sensitive.

Their presence will be visible and mobile during ceremonial hours.

And access to the latter could be limited.

An evolving threat

Important vigilance will also be given to cars parked near places of worship.

These measures, which can be adapted according to specificities, intervene in a context where the threat is not only present but above all evolving.

In recent months, the anti-terrorism services have insisted on the endogenous risk: that of seeing people who are already in France but not necessarily detected and who can act very quickly take action.

Last month, two young suspects were arrested, one 17 years old in Mantes-la-Jolie and the other 18 years old in Marseille.

Two different cases which show that the intelligence services continue to thwart this kind of potential attacks.