The Interior Minister stresses that this year’s Easter celebrations and the Jewish holiday of Passover are taking place in a context of a “very clear resurgence of international tensions” and a “high” level of terrorist threat in France.
Laurent Nuñez has asked prefects and senior police and gendarmerie officials to exercise “extreme vigilance” in order to ensure the security of places of worship during the Christian celebration of Easter and the Jewish holiday of Passover.
In a telegram dated Saturday and seen by AFP, the Interior Minister emphasized that these holidays are taking place in a context of a “very clear resurgence of international tensions” and a “high” level of terrorist threat in France. This year, Passover runs from the evening of Wednesday, April 1, to Thursday, April 9. Easter falls on Sunday, April 5, for Catholics and Protestants, with celebrations beginning on the evening of Saturday, April 4, while Orthodox Christians will celebrate the resurrection of Christ on April 12.
“1,320 acts recorded by territorial intelligence”
The minister notes that “antisemitic acts in 2025 remained at a historically high level,” with “1,320 acts recorded by territorial intelligence.” “Although this represents a 16% decrease compared with 2024,” he continues, “over the past twenty-five years, antisemitic acts have never been as high as they have been during the last three years, in a context of a very sharp rise following October 7, 2023.” Laurent Nuñez also points out that these acts account for “53% of all anti-religious incidents.”
In addition, “843 anti-Christian acts were recorded in 2025, an increase of 9% compared with the previous year,” he adds. Consequently, the minister is asking prefects and security forces to “pay particular attention to services and gatherings that bring together large numbers of people in specific places and at specific times and therefore require heightened vigilance.”
