Pig heads were found outside multiple mosques in Paris on Tuesday, September 9, authorities said, condemning the act as an insult to Muslims.
France is home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, over six million people, for whom pigs are considered impure.
“An inquiry has been immediately opened,” Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said on X. “Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of these despicable acts.”
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that pig heads were discovered in front of at least two mosques in the capital and one just outside the city limits. A pig head was also found inside a suitcase near a mosque in northern Paris.
At one of the sites, the word “Macron” was scrawled in blue, an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macron, who is currently facing political and fiscal challenges.
A Paris police unit has launched an investigation into suspected incitement to hatred, aggravated by discrimination.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau strongly denounced the incidents.
“I want our Muslim compatriots to be able to practice their faith in peace,” he said. “I understand that they feel hurt.”