France: new threats of attacks target middle and high schools in the South
Dozens of high schools in the south of France were targeted by threats of attacks on the night of Monday March 25 to Tuesday March 26, giving rise to operations and even evacuations. This time, it is the south of France which is concerned, in particular the academies of Marseille and Nice, while 130 establishments in Paris and the North had been targeted the previous week.
Around thirty high schools were targeted by new threats of attacks in the Nice academy, on the night of March 25 to 26. (illustrative image) © Eric FEFERBERG / AFP
By: RFI with AFP
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These threats were transmitted via digital workspaces (ENT) connecting teachers, students and parents. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (Paca), which manages high schools, assured that it took "
these threats very seriously
" and suspended the ENT Atrium in the region "
to avoid any spread of messages
" to the content "
Islamist and terrorist
.
In the Nice academy, around thirty high schools were concerned and around fifteen in Bouches-du-Rhône, according to a police source. In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, four high schools were even evacuated while doubts were resolved, according to the prefecture.
Patrols have been reinforced
around the high schools concerned
. “
Instructions have been given to the police to contact each establishment in order to carry out safety inspections and report any abnormal situation
,” said the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture in a press release, where 16 establishments were targeted. “
The presence of police and gendarmes is also reinforced around establishments in a logic of increased vigilance.
»
“
We will not tolerate any abusive and malicious alerts
,” declared the president of the region, Renaud Muselier, announcing systematic filings of complaints and demanding “
exemplary sanctions
”.
A new wave of threats after last week
On March 25, the Ministry of National
Education
indicated that nearly
130 high schools and colleges in Île-de-France
, Hauts-de-France and the Grand Est region, had been targeted since last week by threats. attacks and “
malicious acts
” via
digital workspaces
.
“
We have no indication that these are attacks other than French
,” said the Minister of National Education and Youth Nicole Belloubet on France Inter, this Tuesday March 26. “
When the perpetrators are known, the sanctions are very heavy. This can lead to prison sentences and there have already been situations in false bomb threats where there have been prison sentences handed down
,” she added.
Questioned in the National Assembly during questions to the government, Nicole Belloubet said she had “
asked her services, within 48
hours, to organize a meeting on the one hand with the elected representatives of local authorities and their representatives, and on the other share, with school software publishers, to identify in the medium and long term the response measures that we will be able to put in place
.”
These facts come in a context of maximum alert in the face of the threat of attacks, after the attack which left at least 139 dead, Friday March 22 evening, in a concert hall near Moscow. The latter would have been carried out by an “
entity ” of the “
Islamic State
” group
at the origin, according to
Emmanuel Macron
, of “
several
recent attempts” on French soil. The
Vigipirate plan was raised to its maximum level
on the evening of Sunday March 24, leading to the strengthening of security conditions around educational establishments.
Read also: Terrorist threats to French high schools: ongoing investigation, strengthening of establishment security
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