France is preparing to enforce stringent security measures for New Year’s Eve, deploying 90,000 law enforcement personnel nationwide, as confirmed by domestic intelligence chief Céline Berthon.
In Paris, 6,000 officers will be on duty, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin expecting over 1.5 million people to participate in festivities on the Champs-Elysées.
This increase in security is a reaction to the heightened risk of terrorism the country faces, as stated by Darmanin on Friday.
The deployment includes 90,000 police officers nationwide, with 6,000 in Paris, and an additional 5,000 soldiers from the ‘Sentinelle’ unit, which is dedicated to countering terrorist threats.
Darmanin emphasized the necessity for an extensive police and security force presence, citing the ongoing situation in Israel and Palestine as a factor contributing to the elevated terrorist threat level.
European security officials have also noted a heightened risk of attacks by individuals radicalized by the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The urgency of these security measures was underlined by a recent incident near the Eiffel Tower, where a tourist was fatally stabbed on December 2.
The memory of large-scale terrorist attacks, such as the 2015 Bataclan tragedy where Islamic extremists killed 130 people at a music hall and cafe terraces in France, remains a significant concern ahead of the upcoming Olympics.
Earlier this month, the French police arrested five individuals for allegedly planning terrorist attacks in three municipalities in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France.
This operation was led by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office in Paris, which coordinated with special service teams to apprehend the suspects simultaneously in the municipalities of Nancy, Toul, and Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy.
According to the report from L’Est Républicain, there is an ongoing preliminary investigation into what is being termed a “conspiracy to prepare one or more crimes causing physical harm.”
The special operation was executed through the collaboration of various specialized police units in counter-terrorism, including the Sub-Directorate for Anti-Terrorism (SDAT), the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), and the Operational Support Group (GAO) affiliated with it.
