Macron Calls Trump's "Islam Behind French Protests" Remark "Foolish"; Students, Unions Announce More Protests

Macron: "Unacceptable and foolish comments"
Claims about who is behind the violence differ even within France.

As large-scale protests demanding better education conditions and measures to address high prices continue day after day in France, French President Emmanuel Macron strongly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for blaming immigrants for the protests.

According to the Associated Press and other media outlets on the 21st (local time), President Macron, who is on a tour of the Middle East, met with reporters in Qatar that day and said foreign leaders' remarks about the recent protests in France had "led to unacceptable and foolish comments." Asked whether he was referring to President Trump, he replied, "He is among them."

President Macron countered, "There are also AI images showing scenes that never happened in France," adding, "Some people say we have been invaded by groups of migrants and Islamists, but that is a complete lie."

A wall bears the words “Ecology: It’s Already Too Late” after nationwide protests in Paris, France, on the 21st (local time). Paris, France = Reuters-Yonhap.

He added, "There are people trying to campaign at France's expense, whether within the region (Europe) or across the Atlantic."

His remarks appear to target President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others. President Trump has repeatedly claimed that the protests in France were carried out by migrants of Arab origin. This has prompted criticism that he may be using the situation in France to highlight his anti-immigration policies ahead of next month's midterm elections. Similarly, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is also facing an upcoming general election, said in an interview with i24 on the 20th that "France has been invaded by extremist Islam."

In fact, claims about who is behind the violence differ both within and outside France. According to the BBC, French intelligence agencies are reported to have submitted a report to the government stating that anarchist groups were linked to the student protests that have continued since September. Student groups, however, deny this, saying they organized the protests spontaneously.

Meanwhile, another large-scale protest is planned in France for October 24. The National Union of Students of France (UNEF) has called for people to join the additional protest on October 24, and the Yellow Vests movement has also submitted a plan to authorities for a march through central Paris on the same day. Major labor unions are considering a general strike on November 5.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.