In brief
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that abroad leaders are exploiting the violent protests that erupted across the country to advance their own election campaigns. He pointed to AI‑generated videos and misinformation as tools used to inflame the riots. After nearly 150 arrests and over 800 court cases, officials say the police lost control during the clashes. European regulators are probing foreign disinformation campaigns, notably from pro‑Russian and far‑right networks. Macron vowed an “uncompromising” stance against “agitators from ultra‑left fringe groups” and pledged to dismantle platforms spreading false narratives.
French President Emmanuel Macron has accused foreign leaders of exploiting the violent unrest that erupted across France on Saturday for electoral gains.
Speaking in Doha, Macron said unnamed “foreign leaders” were campaigning amid the chaos, using their comments on the riots as a political launchpad for upcoming elections in Israel and the United States.
He warned that much of the online content – including videos circulated on social media – was produced by AI and had amplified the unrest. These include 48 videos allegedly fabricated by a Russian disinformation operation known as Matryoshka and other posts linked to pro‑Russian and far‑right accounts.
Since the protests that hit Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, and other cities, law‑enforcement agencies have arrested nearly 150 people and brought over 800 to court.
European regulators are now examining possible foreign online interference. Reports point to Iranian and Algerian actors among those spreading false narratives to stir chaos.
Macron also warned that demonstrations were intensified by the “invasion of extremist Islam”, a claim later refuted by French prosecutors as lack of evidence supports the alleged robbery of elderly couples in Paris.
He vowed that French authorities would take an “uncompromising” stance against “agitators from ultra‑left fringe groups” and dismantle the platforms fueling misinformation.
