At least two people have been seriously injured after a man drove into a crowd of pedestrians and cyclists on an island off the west coast of France, according to prosecutors.
Local officials said a 35-year-old man deliberately drove into people between the towns of Saint Pierre d’Oléron and Dolus d’Oléron on Île d’Oléron on Wednesday, injuring 10 people.
He was yelling, “Allahu Akbar.”
Arnaud Laraize, the public prosecutor for the nearby city of La Rochelle, said the suspect had yelled “allahu akbar,” or “God is greatest” in Arabic, as he was arrested, according to the newspaper Sud Ouest. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez separately confirmed that the suspect was in custody and an investigation was underway. Nuñez said two people had been critically injured.
A 22-year-old pedestrian and a 69-year-old cyclist are in critical condition and were airlifted to hospitals in La Rochelle and Poitiers, two cities on the mainland. Three other people were taken to hospital in a “stable condition,” while another five sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene by firefighters, French broadcaster BFMTV reported.
Local lawmaker Olivier Falorni said the motive was not yet clear and the suspect had not appeared on the country’s watchlist for radicalized individuals, according to Reuters.
The motive is clear to me.
A terrorist shouted “Allahu Akbar” after plowing into 10 pedestrians in France.
Islam is not a religion of peace. pic.twitter.com/tFEk4Ctpqc
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) November 5, 2025
In another episode.
Paris, France
Hordes of Migrants storm down the street vandalising Cars, Shops, Restaurants whilst yelling “Allahu Akbar.”
Don’t be surprised when you see this in NYC, just sayin, as we let the Trojan horse in. pic.twitter.com/NNqMYWjzW1— Eagle Wings (@CRRJA5) November 5, 2025
Are you paying attention NYC. They’ll be there soon.