Man barricades himself in Saint Raphael Museum with Arabic graffiti

On October 23, 2019, a man barricaded himself inside the Saint Raphael Museum, an archaeological museum in southern France, around 7:30 AM, blocking access to the building. Police special forces and officers responded but were unable to make contact with the individual, who may be alone or have accomplices or hostages. The incident may be linked to a break-in at the same museum the previous night by one or two people. A museum employee raised the alarm after being unable to enter the building; she reported that Arabic graffiti reading "The museum will become hell" had appeared on the facade. The Saint Raphael Museum, located in the historic center of Saint Raphael, spans 800 square meters and houses archaeological heritage including Carolingian crypts and remains of an adjacent Romanesque church. This is not the first time museums have been targeted by terrorism: the Bataclan attack on November 13, 2015, and the Bardo National Museum attack on March 18, 2015, in Tunis, which killed 24 people and injured 45, are cited as precedents.