Macron criticizes Netanyahu and Trump for exploiting French riots

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that foreign leaders were exploiting the riots that erupted across France for their own electoral campaigns. Speaking in Doha, he warned that politicians “in campaign mode” were using the unrest to score points, even though he did not name them. The comment came as police struggled to contain violence that spread from Paris to Lyon, Marseille and Nice after weeks of high‑school cost‑of‑living protests.

The riots began on the fringe of student demonstrations and quickly turned into street battles between masked rioters and police. Video of looted shops and burning buildings circulated widely on social media, some of it later identified as AI‑generated fakes. Macron said these false videos fed “unacceptable and stupid comments” from abroad. He added that there was no direct foreign interference in the clashes themselves, but that the manipulation of information after the fact was real.

Macron’s remarks appeared to target Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. President Donald Trump, both of whom are facing elections soon. Netanyahu, speaking on Israel’s i24 channel, claimed France was suffering an “invasion of extremist Islam” and warned that failure to act in Israel would bring the same threat to Paris. Trump blamed the unrest on mass immigration, urging European nations to close their borders. Since the riots began, nearly 150 people have been jailed and more than 800 have faced court, while the government pledged an “uncompromising” response to what it called ultra‑left agitators.

The French interior ministry admitted police had “lost control” during the disturbances and promised a swift clean‑up of damaged sites. Authorities say they will tighten security around schools and increase monitoring of online misinformation. The episode highlights how domestic unrest can be weaponised in international politics, especially ahead of elections in Israel and the United States. It also raises questions about the role of AI‑generated content in shaping public perception and the need for tighter safeguards against disinformation.