Protestsupdated 2h ago2 min read
Donald Trump Says France Is Burning, Blames Immigration After October 17 Protests
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Trump says 'France is burning' and blames immigration for unrest. Protests involved violence, looting, with hundreds arrested and police injured nationwide.
Trump and Vance blame immigration
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that “France is burning” and said immigration has “broken this country that was once great,” after protests in France on Saturday, October 17.
“‘Western progressives have imported the Third World into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion.”
J.D. Vance wrote on X that “Western progressives have imported the Third World into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion,” linking the unrest to immigration and integration.
Trump urged Paris to “Close your borders and take back control before it is too late!” while Vance said he “prayed” France would end “this madness” before more landmarks burn.
The unrest followed protests against the high cost of living in France, and it escalated into violence and looting that led to detentions and injuries reported across France.
Detentions, injuries, and arrests
France’s Interior Minister said police arrested about 1,800 people in total after the October 17 violence, and the unrest included buildings set on fire and shops looted. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said more than 500 police officers were injured, and the protests also included a death in Paris from a heart attack during demonstrations.
Kurdistan24 reported that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers were injured after clashes, fires, vandalism and extensive looting erupted on the margins of demonstrations. The sources also described demonstrations across France reaching from Lille to Marseille, and they said the movement involved hundreds of thousands of people protesting the rising cost of living and the decline in public services.
Macron faces pressure
The Office of President Emmanuel Macron said he would address the nation at 8:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) on Sunday, after the violence and looting that overshadowed the protest movement. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu attributed the unrest to the “far left” and criminals, while Economy Minister Roland Lescure pledged support to business owners who suffered losses and said “Those who destroy property will pay the price, repair the damages, and be held to account for their intent to spread chaos.”
France 24’s live coverage said Trump blamed “immigration” for nationwide protests, as the historic town hall in Limoges was described as torched and the roof collapsing after flames engulfed it. The unrest renewed pressure on Macron and his government as the next year’s presidential election approaches, with the protests beginning last month over school conditions and teacher shortages in working-class suburbs before expanding into a broader movement.