New Year’s Eve in France, known for its “tradition” of violent incidents, passed without “notable” events, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who ordered a significant increase in street patrols. As a result, compared to last year, there were 11% more arrests and 20% fewer burned cars, Le Figaro and News.ro reported.

A total of 90,000 policemen and gendarmes, mobilized throughout the country, were keeping a watchful eye on New Year’s Eve.

While the services feared a terrorist attack or an outbreak of serious violence, New Year’s Eve almost took on the appearance of an ordinary, peaceful night. There was less violence, but more arrests thanks to increased control by law enforcement, which was instructed to be especially tough.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen announced that almost 500 people had been arrested across France, including for attacks on police, an 11% increase on 2022.

The interior minister has asked police and gendarmerie chiefs to “systematically arrest those who cause trouble” and prefects have been asked to create a “visible deterrent” that will patrol on foot alongside military internal security forces.

In particular, in several “hot” areas of Nantes, unknown persons fired at gendarmerie patrols, throwing Molotov cocktails and firecrackers.

On the other hand, the number of burned cars, whose breakdown was stopped in 2009 to avoid any exaggeration or competition between cities, fell by 20% compared to the previous year, when 648 fires caused the burning of 874 cars. This balance is constantly decreasing. In 2019, 1,316 vehicles were set on fire.

With one of the coldest temperatures recorded at the end of December and a record attendance of one million people who came to celebrate the New Year on the Champs-Élysées, the conditions were ripe for serious incidents. However, there was no outbreak of violence in Paris and its suburbs, they were protected by a solid police force of 5,400 people, writes Le Figaro.