United States President Donald Trump has blamed immigration for the violent unrest that swept across France, urging French authorities to close the country’s borders as demonstrations over the rising cost of living and declining public services descended into clashes, looting and arson.
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Trump made the remarks as French authorities continued to assess the damage from nationwide protests, with arrests reported at about 1,800 and hundreds of police officers and emergency personnel said to have been injured.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump linked the violence to immigration and called on France to take control of its borders.
“France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country.
“Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!” Trump wrote.
The protests on October 17 attracted an estimated 550,000 people, according to France’s Interior Ministry, while the CGT labour union put the number at about 800,000.
The demonstrations brought together students, trade unions and activists protesting against rising living costs, deteriorating public services and conditions in the education sector.
Although many of the demonstrations began peacefully, violence later erupted in several cities, with buildings damaged, vehicles and other objects set ablaze and clashes recorded between protesters and security personnel.
In Limoges, workers were assessing damage to the city’s 143-year-old town hall, which was partially destroyed in an arson attack.
Trump had earlier mocked the unrest in France, referring to the country’s history of political upheaval and joking about joining a revolution there.
His Vice President, JD Vance, also linked the violence to immigration and multiculturalism, accusing Western liberal governments of failing to address questions surrounding assimilation.
“Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility,” Vance wrote on X.
He added: “They were told it would lead to this and they didn’t listen.”
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