The President of the United States, Donald Trump, on Saturday criticized France's immigration policies at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia. Referring to the current situation in France, he stated that the country is burning due to opening its borders to people who hate it.
Trump's Analysis of the Situation in France
At the rally, Trump said: "These people come to France, but they love nothing; neither the buildings, nor the monuments, nor the artworks." He attributed this situation to the immigration policies of the United States and added: "The current situation in France should teach us what we need to do. We must not allow these people to enter our country."
Read more: The French President's Position on Immigration Policies
These remarks come as early voting for the November 2026 midterm elections has begun in the United States. This election will determine control of both houses of Congress and could affect Trump's ability to advance his legislative agenda for the remainder of his presidency.
Controversies and Protests in France
Meanwhile, in France, Interior Minister Laurent Nune announced that nearly 1,000 people were arrested during protests on Saturday. These protests, due to rising living costs and other social issues, were accompanied by clashes between protesters and police forces in Paris and other cities. According to Nune, the number of arrests may increase.
According to reports, the French government stated that about 410,000 protesters took to the streets nationwide, while organizers estimated the number of protesters to be around 800,000. Officials also announced that the demonstrations in Paris were completely dispersed following clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
In response to the unrest, police used tear gas and water cannons to control the situation, and Nune said at a press conference: "Currently, we have nearly 1,000 arrests, and this number may significantly increase." He also compared the number of arrests to the previous Saturday, which was a day filled with violence and looting.
While the initial gatherings were relatively calm, severe clashes occurred late Saturday night in Paris. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons to restore order to the crowd. This violence spread to several major regional centers, including Lyon, Lille, Marseille, and Nantes.
The protests formed as a broad coalition of leftist party leaders, labor unions, student groups, activists, and NGOs like Amnesty International. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, on October 21, directed criticisms at vague foreign comments from figures like Trump and Netanyahu, calling for a de-escalation of internal tensions.
During his trip to Qatar, Macron criticized foreign leaders seeking to exploit the internal unrest in France, stating: "Many individuals are campaigning at the expense of France." He also emphasized that there is no foreign interference in the recent unrest and clarified that "these false narratives and misuse of information following this unrest have led to many individuals making incorrect statements."
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