‘Stupid talk’: France rejects Trump’s attempt to blame unrest on migration

Paris, France – As France reels from violent clashes during protests, riots and looting, the blame game is on.

Key points

• Bilal Narjissi, a 17-year-old student at the Paul Eluard high school near Paris, one of the first to witness protests, called it "stupid talk".
• Emmanuel Dupuy, president of the Institute for European Perspective and Security Studies, a think tank on diplomacy and political analysis, remarked Trump's argument was aimed at American voters.
• Without explicitly referring to events in France, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk additionally weighed in.
• French President Emmanuel Macron has since slammed "stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders", but did not name Trump.
• More than 2, 000 individuals were placed in police custody – the vast majority of them minors – and thousands of businesses were ransacked.

One argument making waves throughout the political spectrum – and throughout the Atlantic – is that migrants and open-border policies are responsible.

"If Europe doesn't close its borders and bring the criminals out, like the people that are protesting, Europe is finished, " United States President Donald Trump remarked at the White House on Monday. When you look at Italy, when you look at all the turmoil and the hatred – that's not regarding school, "When I look at France. That's regarding residents coming into the countries that hate the country."

French President Emmanuel Macron has since slammed "stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders", but did not name Trump. Speaking during a visit in Qatar, he remarked there was no evidence of foreign interference behind the riots. Young student protesters in France were unimpressed by Trump's intervention.

"They can think whatever they like. We're focusing on the main subject. It is the students' demands, " Narjissi remarked. "The far right has to say these kinds of things because they base their politics and political programmes on instilling fear."

"It's an artificial argument used as a political tool in the context of midterm elections, " he remarked. "They are trying to argue that what is happening in France would happen in the US if Democrats get elected."

Trump's comments came after largely peaceful high school student demonstrations in France descended into chaos over the weekend when rioters attacked city halls and looted stores, marking the most violent unrest in France in years.

More than 2, 000 individuals were placed in police custody – the vast majority of them minors – and thousands of businesses were ransacked. Accused of letting the situation spiral, French authorities imposed partial and temporary curfews in certain cities nationwide, including in areas of Paris.

While reservations over dilapidated buildings, overcrowded classes and teacher shortages were at the fore, the protest movement swiftly catalysed wider discontent over the cost of living and social unease. Italy, Albania and Spain have seen similar demonstrations.

French authorities have not linked crime with migration. The state does not share the identities of individuals arrested and sent to trial.

Under constitutional laws aimed at equality, it is illegal to collect data on ethnicity and race.

Both far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen and politicians from the centrist bloc, including Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, have accused hard-left groups of fomenting disorder.

Notably, the wave of protests seems to have struck a nerve throughout the European bloc, too.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar remarked it was now "clear to everyone why Hungary takes the toughest possible stance on immigration", posting on X a video showing buildings burning in France.

Without explicitly referring to events in France, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk additionally weighed in. "Poland will not repeat the mistakes of other European countries, nor will it pay for them, " he asserted on X a day after the mass demonstrations and looting in France. "We will be uncompromising on security."

Dupuy remarked the origin of those who joined the violence was beside the point.

"These protesters were high school students; then professional black bloc and looters joined, too – whether they came from a third or fourth generation of former migrants is irrelevant, " he remarked. "Eventually, this is a problem of integration, not immigration." Vance attacks 'Western liberals' in Europe.

Notably, the US is in campaigning mode as it gears up for key elections in early November that will determine who dominates Congress.

With all eyes on midterms, Republicans seem eager to capitalise on unrest in Europe to rally backing for Trump's Produce America Great Again (MAGA) movement and its tough policies on immigration and border measures.

"Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion, " US Vice President JD Vance remarked on X. "They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility."

Some critics have argued that Trump is trying to divert attention from the US's cost-of-living crisis. Costs are rising in the US against the backdrop of the Iran war he rolled out and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It has sent energy rates to new heights.

What is happening in France, Trump remarked, should be a cautionary tale for American voters.

"If you want to see what is at stake in this election, just look at what's happening in France, " he remarked, doubling down at a rally in the US state of Kansas.

In short, 'Stupid talk': France rejects Trump's attempt to blame unrest on migration is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.