Macron rejects claims blaming Muslim migrants for France riots

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed claims by foreign leaders that Muslim migrants or Islamists were behind recent violent protests in France, calling such remarks “unacceptable and stupid.”
Speaking in Doha, Macron said there was no visible evidence of foreign interference in the unrest, but that information had been manipulated abroad afterwards. He said claims that France had been “invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists” were completely false.
Macron accused unnamed foreign leaders of exploiting France’s problems for their election campaigns and repeating unverified AI-generated images and videos. His remarks were widely seen as a veiled criticism of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump had blamed Muslim migration for the unrest and urged Europe to close its borders and deport criminals. Netanyahu claimed France faced an “invasion of extremist Islam,” although the protests were largely driven by the cost of living, education conditions and economic grievances.
French authorities said violence, vandalism and looting occurred during the protests, but there has been no confirmation that Muslim migrants were chiefly responsible. Macron also vowed firm action against far-left agitators involved in the disorder.