Macron Slams Trump Over Claims About French Unrest

By Staff, Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned foreign leaders’ comments about the unrest sweeping France as “stupid” and “unacceptable,” in an apparent rebuke of US President Donald Trump, who blamed the violence on France’s migration policies.

France has experienced some of its most serious riots in years, with demonstrations initially sparked by teacher shortages and deteriorating school facilities expanding into nationwide protests over inequality, rising living costs and public service cuts.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets over the weekend as demonstrations escalated into clashes with police, arson and looting.

Nearly 2,400 people were arrested, around 1,000 police officers were injured, and hundreds of businesses were looted or damaged by fires, with the overall cost estimated at hundreds of millions of euros.

Trump claimed that “migrants, jihadists, and communists” had “conquered, looted, and burned” France, accusing Macron of failing to secure the country’s borders.

He urged European leaders to close their borders and used the unrest to rally Republicans ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, warning that scenes of burning buildings reflected what he claimed Democrats’ migration policies would bring to the US.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Macron accused foreign actors of manipulating information about the unrest for their own purposes.

“There was foreign manipulation of information, which gave rise to unacceptable and stupid comments from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said.

Rejecting claims that France had been “invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists,” Macron described those allegations as completely false. Asked whether he was referring to Trump, he replied, “Among others.”

Although videos circulating online have shown some demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags alongside French flags, there is no clear evidence that migrants have played a disproportionate role in the unrest.

French authorities have largely attributed the violence to radical far-left groups and opportunistic criminals, without linking its organization to immigrants. Politicians across the political spectrum have also blamed Macron’s government, accusing it of weakening public services and failing to maintain order.

Macron made his remarks during a Middle East trip that he declined to postpone despite the unrest at home. Defending his decision, he said changing his plans would have signaled “nervousness” and argued that he had provided his government with a “sufficient roadmap” for handling the crisis.