Trump and Vance blame immigration for violence during France protests

US President Donald Trump on Sunday, October 18, blamed immigration for violence during protests across France and urged the country to close its borders. His comments followed Saturday’s nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and public services, during which arson and looting broke out on the margins of marches that France 24 described as largely peaceful.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, ‘France is burning!’ and said immigration by people with ‘hatred in their hearts’ had shattered the country. ‘Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!’ he added. His assertion that immigration caused the violence was his explanation for the unrest.

Vance links the unrest to US politics

Vance urged Americans to pay attention, casting the French unrest as ‘the future congressional Democrats seek for your country’. His comments used the events in France to make a point about US politics ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, according to AFP reporting published by The Straits Times.

Arrests and damage after the demonstrations

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police had arrested more than 1,800 people after outbreaks of arson and looting, according to France 24. The figure was an official count reported on Sunday. France 24 described the violence as occurring on the margins of peaceful marches, rather than characterising the nationwide demonstrations as violent throughout.

In Limoges, workers assessed damage to the 143-year-old city hall after an arson attack partially destroyed it, the Times of India reported. Vance’s post featured a video of the building on fire. The damage was one of the events to which he pointed when warning that France could lose more landmarks.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will chair an interministerial crisis task force at 10am on Monday, October 19, after its meeting was postponed from Sunday evening, the prime minister’s office said, according to France 24. The meeting is the French government’s scheduled response to violence that broke out during the October 17 demonstrations.