Donald Trump Blames Mass Migration for Violent Protests and Chaos Across France
US President Donald Trump commented on the violent protests in France, calling the unrest mass migration out of control. Thousands have been arrested and hundreds of police injured as high school demonstrations escalated.
Donald Trump Comments on Unrest in France
US President Donald Trump addressed the chaos unfolding in France amid violent protests that have erupted across the country. US President Donald Trump stated: "What is happening in France is nothing less than mass migration out of control. This has nothing to do with schools, this has to do with Islam wanting to take over a country that was once great!"
A wave of high school protests, which began with demands for better study conditions, spread across France within two weeks, turning into violent clashes that are now preoccupying the political system ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Schools have been vandalized and set on fire, police officers attacked with fireworks, students injured in clashes with security forces, and thousands arrested. On Thursday alone, the French Interior Ministry reported 1,949 arrests and 305 police officers and gendarmes injured. More than a thousand high schools were affected by the protests, and ahead of Friday, about 400 of them were closed for security reasons.
Origins and Spread of the Protests
The protests began on September 21 at the Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris. Students complained about a shortage of staff, including a vice principal, a nurse, and a support worker for students with special needs. From there, blockades spread to the poor suburbs of Paris and later to cities such as Lille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille, Strasbourg, and Nantes.
Barricades are accumulating at school gates instead of students. Burning trash cans, fireworks fired at police, and in some educational institutions, studies have completely stopped. On Friday, activity was disrupted in 735 high schools, and about 400 were closed. Among the focal points of violence was the Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes, where a fire broke out. What started as a protest over study conditions turned within days into a crisis whose consequences extend far well beyond the educational system.
Police Warning and Mass Arrests
On Saturday, Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure warned that the protest had gotten out of control and that those who started it were no longer in control. According to Reuters, about 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested since Monday. A national police spokesperson stated that more than 600 police officers have been injured. Ahead of another day of protest on Tuesday, Faure called on parents to keep their children away from what he defined as professional rioters.
