The key facts

  • Trump on Truth Social linked the unrest in France to migration and called for closing the borders
  • More than 2,330 detained over the weekend, about 1,000 law enforcement officers injured, the town hall in Limoges burned down
  • Macron blamed 'radical far-left groups', Lecornu ordered local curfews to be introduced

Trump's statement

US President Donald Trump on Monday linked the large-scale unrest in France to migration policy and called on the French authorities to immediately close the national borders. 'Migrants have taken over France. They must close the borders, quickly,' he wrote on his social network Truth Social. The day before, on Sunday, Trump claimed that migration had 'destroyed this once great country' and called on Paris to regain control 'before it is too late.' The American administration provided no evidence of a connection between the protests and migrants.

Chronicle of the protests

Demonstrations in France began in mid-September as student protests over a shortage of teachers and underfunding of schools, and then escalated into nationwide trade union strikes against inflation and the high cost of living. Over the weekend the situation worsened: several buildings were set on fire, including the historic town hall in Limoges. According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers were injured.

The authorities' response

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Monday that more than 2,330 people had been taken into police custody in France over the weekend. In his Sunday address, President Emmanuel Macron condemned, in his words, the 'unbridled violence' from 'insurrectionary elements of radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals,' contrasting them with protesters with legitimate demands. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday that he had instructed regional authorities to introduce limited local curfews to prevent new unrest and looting.