US President Donald Trump has blamed immigrants for the mass unrest in France and called on the country’s authorities to close its borders immediately to bring the situation under control.
“France is burning. People from a completely different world, whose hearts are filled with hatred, have destroyed this once-great country. Close the borders and take control of the situation before it’s too late,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.
His statement came after mass protests in France over the rising cost of living. The previous day, demonstrations in several cities had escalated into clashes with police, arson attacks and looting of shops.
According to the latest figures from France’s Interior Ministry, more than 1,800 people have been arrested across the country as a result of the unrest.
One of the most serious incidents occurred in the city of Limoges, where a town hall building dating back around 140 years caught fire and its tower collapsed. Clashes were also reported in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities, while police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters.
French authorities estimate that around 550,000 people took part in Saturday’s demonstrations. Trade unions, however, put the turnout at 800,000.
The unrest in France shows how quickly social discontent can escalate into street clashes when protests over the rising cost of living move beyond peaceful demonstrations. However, Trump’s statement placing full responsibility for the unrest on immigrants is a political assessment, not a conclusion substantiated by the data presented.
Assessing the scale of the situation also requires distinguishing between the number of arrests, the extent of property damage and the number of demonstrators. These are different indicators and do not, by themselves, explain the causes of the unrest. The discrepancy between the figures provided by the authorities and trade unions also shows that there is no consensus even on the total number of participants.
