New attack threats, this time targeting high schools in the south of France

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credits: 11:06 a.m., March 26, 2024

After the north and east of France, high schools in the south were targeted during the night from Monday to Tuesday by threats of attack which, however, did not lead to evacuations, we learned from sources concordant. “The threat is taken seriously and leads to doubts being raised in the establishments concerned and crew patrols around high schools,” the Bouches-du-Rhône police headquarters told AFP.

Around fifteen high schools concerned

According to a police source, these threats, transmitted via digital work spaces (ENT) connecting teachers, students and parents of students, concerned around fifteen high schools in Bouches-du-Rhône. Contacted by AFP, the Aix-Marseille academy indicates that there is no evacuation but that the reception of students has in certain cases been postponed while procedures to resolve doubts are carried out. “Doubts had already been resolved during the night or this morning in many high schools in our academy,” added a spokesperson for the rectorate.

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On Monday, the Ministry of National Education indicated that nearly 130 high schools and colleges in Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France and the Grand Est region had been targeted since last week by threats of attack. and “malicious acts” via digital workspaces. “We have no indications that these are attacks other than French,” said Minister Nicole Belloubet on France Inter on Tuesday morning.

“Exemplary sanctions”

"When the perpetrators are known, the sanctions are very heavy. This can go as far as prison sentences and there have already been situations in false bomb threats where there have been prison sentences which have been pronounced,” she added. The president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, which manages the high schools, indicated that the community was going to file a complaint, demanding "exemplary sanctions". “Faced with these threats with Islamist and terrorist content, no high school will be opened without raising doubts,” added Renaud Muselier (Renaissance) on X.

These facts come in a context of maximum alert in the face of the threat of attacks, after the attack which left at least 137 dead Friday evening in a concert hall near Moscow, carried out by an “entity” of the “State” group. Islamic" at the origin, according to Emmanuel Macron, of "several recent attempts" on French soil. Vigipirate was raised to its maximum level on Sunday evening, leading to a strengthening of security conditions around educational establishments.