In France, Islamist drives into crowd shouting “Allahu Akbar”
The suspect claimed he had received “a message from Allah” and acted on “divine command.”
On November 5, 2025, on the French resort island of Oléron, a man deliberately drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians and cyclists while shouting “Allahu Akbar,” reports The European Conservative.
According to police, at least ten people were injured in the attack, four of them critically. After ramming the crowd, the driver tried to set his car on fire but was swiftly detained by police officers. Witnesses said the man repeatedly shouted Islamic slogans, including “Allahu Akbar,” and behaved extremely aggressively.
Prosecutor of La Rochelle Arnaud Larrez stated that during his arrest, the suspect continued shouting religious slogans and resisted the police.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “shocked” by the incident and expressed support for the victims and their families. He emphasized that the authorities “will not tolerate justification of violence under religious pretexts” and that the investigation would be carried out “with utmost rigor.”
According to Le Figaro, the detainee, a 33-year-old Frenchman named Jean Guillot, claimed he had received “a message from Allah” and was acting on “divine command.” Investigators are examining possible signs of the suspect’s religious radicalization, as well as his online activity and contacts with extremist groups.
The La Rochelle prosecutor’s office stated that although no direct ties to terrorist organizations have yet been found, the case is being treated as a possible terrorist attack. If confirmed, it will be handed over to France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that a letter containing a terrorist threat had been found in Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral.
