Wave of Hoax Bomb Threats Sends Shockwaves through France, Forces Evacuation of Iconic Sites

29

Over the weekend, a flurry of unsettling events unfolded in Paris, leading to the evacuation of countless patrons from Louvre and other renowned locations. A distressing wave of hoax bomb threats rippled across France, resulting in the arrest of no fewer than 18 individuals. Major sites like the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre, numerous educational institutions, airports and hospitals found themselves in the line of fire.

Most of the culprits instigating these chaos, surprisingly, were minors, according to the authorities. This surge of threats lands heavily on an already tense France, reeling from the recent fatal assault on a teacher, allegedly by a jihadist, in a school in the northern city of Arras.


A staggering number of 15 regional airports received threats this previous Friday, leading to the evacuation of various airports for multiple days of the week. This in turn caused the cancellation of a minimum of 130 flights.

Tourist hotspots have been major targets too. The Palace of Versailles was forced to shut its doors for the fifth time in merely a week this past Friday, disrupting plans for thousands of would-be visitors.

François de Mazières, the Mayor, called out the absurdity of these actions. He reminded that an estimated count of 10,000 to 15,000 individuals visited France’s earlier royal residence daily, and suggested that these hoaxes may likely result in plummeting attendance.

The iconic Louvre in Paris was not spared either. It underwent an evacuation of its numerous visitors just last Saturday.

Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti revealed to RTL radio that 22 investigations were already underway. However, it seems the arrests have done little to quell the sudden surge of scares.

The killing of the 57-year-old teacher, Dominique Bernard, last week put France on its maximum state of counter-terrorism alert. The accused, a Russian national of Chechen origin, was a previous student at the Gambetta high school in Arras.

Several schools, colleges and other educational institutions faced evacuations over the past week – forcing staff and students to abandon premises, and even making some students take shelter under tables.

While the French authorities are making arrests, suspected to mostly involve students, the threats persistently continue. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed the arrest of 18 individuals, primarily minors, in a span of two days. He was quick to assure that the country faces no specific threat as such.

These paper-tiger threats have primarily been issued via phone calls or emails. Moreover, a 2020-launched website intending to allow citizens to send direct texts to police officers, along with official police social media accounts, have been exploited.

Mr. Dupond-Moretti sternly warned these pranksters, referring to them as “little jokers”, promising they would be “found and punished”. Given that calling in a hoax bomb threat is a criminal offence in France, perpetrators risk a fine of €45,000 (£39,000) and potential prison time of up to three years. Authorities are employing techniques to identify the individuals responsible using IP addresses and phone numbers.