The key facts

  • Macron ruled out 'visible foreign interference' in the protests, but recorded 'foreign manipulation of information'
  • According to him, AI-generated images of scenes that never happened were circulating
  • On October 17 more than half a million people took to the streets; new actions are scheduled for October 24

Macron on interference and information manipulation

French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out 'visible foreign interference' in the protests taking place in the country, but condemned 'foreign manipulation of information.' This was reported by BFM. According to Macron, he did not notice 'any visible foreign interference' in the rallies, but after the actions he observed manipulation of information.

Images created by AI

'We saw images created by artificial intelligence depicting scenes that never happened. There are people who claim that hordes of migrants and Islamists attacked us,' Macron noted. In addition, he condemned the 'unacceptable and stupid comments' of 'foreign leaders' after the rallies. 'At moments like these we see who loves France and who does not,' the president said.

Chronicle of the protests

The protests in France began in late September and were linked to problems in the education sector. Then the actions spread across the entire country and escalated into clashes with the police. The largest unrest occurred on October 17, when more than half a million people took to the streets.

Further actions

It became known that the protests will continue on October 24. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez promised that law enforcement will act with utmost firmness at the actions on October 24. Earlier, a former president of France criticized Macron's government over the protests.